Home Fires
by themindofmine
Summary: Bits and pieces of Eliot and Kenna's life in between jobs and before and afters...lots of friendship growth and baby snidbits.
1. Chapter 1

Home Fires

Chapter One

Boston seemed like a million miles away when Eliot boarded the plane with Kenna and the others. It had been a long couple of days and he was ready to get back home and hopefully a few days alone with Kenna. He begged Nate to take the other's back home and they would meet up in a few days but Nate wasn't having it.

"I promise a week without taking another job." He said as they boarded the plane.

"I'm holding you to that Nate." Eliot growled.

"We're all holding you to it." Sophie said as she sat next to him. That's when Eliot noticed that Nate didn't look so hot. It wasn't the greenish hue he got after an all night bender but his coloring was a bit off. He leaned in and whispered in Kenna's ear.

"Something's up with Nate. He's not lookin' so good." Kenna looked up and saw what Eliot meant.

"Nate, are you okay?" Kenna wasn't afraid to alienate Nate like the others were.

"Fine, just a little jet lag from the last trip across the Atlantic." He said as he leaned back against the head rest.

"Are you sure?" Kenna reached over the seat and touched his head. "Nate, you're burning up." She looked at Eliot. "It's too late to get off the plane."

"Not if I can help it." Eliot stood and went to the nearest flight attendant. Taking out his Air Marshal's badge her smiled his bad boy smile. "We have a medical emergency and need to get off the plane."

"I'm sorry sir but the doors have already closed."

"Darlin' if we don't this man to a doctor in the next half hour he will die. And if he stays on the plane…well I won't be responsible for the outcome." Kenna stood up and came up behind him.

"We need to get off now." Kenna hissed and handed the lady her ID. "I'm with the CDC and we need to get this man quarantined now."

"He's contagious?"

"He will be in forty minutes." Kenna said with authority.

"Let me talk to the captain." She turned to the phone behind her.

"Good call with the CDC thing." Eliot leaned back and whispered.

"Thanks, I'm kinda getting good at pulling things out of my ass."

"It's a great ass by the way." He returned.

"Thanks." The flight attendant returned.

"The door will be open in five minutes. Please have your party ready for debarking."

"Yes ma'am." Eliot smiled. Kenna turned and headed back to their seats. "Nice work Hawks."

"How did you live without me all those years Spencer?" He didn't really know. He had been a lot of places and seen a lot of things but he wasn't sure where he'd be today if Kenna hadn't come back into his life.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o

"How bad?" Eliot had gotten them rooms at the Hilton next to the airport and Nate had been hold up in the bathroom ever since. Kenna volunteered to look after him.

"I would venture food poisioning isn't something Nate is real comfortable with." The sounds of retching coming from the bathroom didn't sound promising.

"How are you doing?" He touched her cheek.

"Oddly I'm feeling great." Taking her in his arms he hugged her and kissed the top of her head.

"Sophie's a wreck. Parker and Hardison are getting on my last nerve but oddly I'm fine too." Kenna chuckled. "I just wanted to go home and sleep in our own bed with your damn cat curled up against us."

"We'll be there in a couple of days. I promise."

"I better go check on the others. Tell Nate I'm glad he got the scallops and not me." Eliot kissed her one last time. "If you need anything we'll be next door."

"Thanks." She waved as Eliot left the room for his own.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o

(Three Days Later)

Eliot dropped his and Kenna's bags at the door. She had stopped at Nate's to make sure he went straight to the couch and lay down after the long flight. Throwing his keys on the counter he headed to make sure the damn cat had food and water. He hadn't expected to be gone so long. The cat was curled up in a ball on his bed.

"Hey Topher." The cat looked up. "Glad to see you kept things going around here." The cat blinked and went back to his nap.

"You talking to yourself again Spencer?" Kenna came through the bedroom door.

"Tell me again why you have a cat?"

"He used to be much more cuddly but he's a little pissed he's been replaced as the number one man in my bed." She stood behind him and kissed his neck. "I thought I would never get you alone." She wrapped her arms around his waist. "I missed you Eliot Spencer." She started unbuttoning his shirt.

"We've been together for the last week." He said, chuckling.

"Together but not alone." She slid his shirt down his arms. He tried to turn around but Kenna had her leg between his. "I love our friends but man can they throw a wrench in a girl's love life." She undid his belt and pulled it out of the loops and threw it in the corner. The buckle hitting the wall startled Topher and he went flying into the living room.

"Darlin' we just got off an eight hour flight and five of the most horrendous days I have ever had in all my life and you want to…" She undid the button of his jeans.

"Oh, Eliot I want to." She kissed his neck. Her hands slid to his hips and pushed his jeans down.

"You're insane Kenna Shane." He whispered.

"Yeah but I'm also a few other things that you never complain about." She moved her leg and he turned around and kicked his jeans out of the way.

"It's been a long week…" Kenna kissed him and then pushed him back to the bed.

"Are you really telling me no Eliot Spencer?" She straddled him.

"No darlin', I'm just saying, slow down." He whispered. "Just slow down." Grabbing her arms he laid her next to him and turned on his side. Eliot kissed her lips softly. "We don't have to hurry."

"Yeah, we do." She sat up and stripped off her shirt and slid out of her jeans. "Your needy friends will be knocking on that door any minute and I don't want to wait till they're over there problem of the day to make love to you." Reaching over she pulled him on top of her.

"You do have a point." He said in between kisses.

"Yes I do." It was the last thing either one of them said for a very long time.

0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0

(One Week Later)

Eliot watched Kenna sleep. As promised they had been jobless for a week but Nate was getting more than a little board. He was plucking cases out of thin air. Eliot slid on his gloves and leaned over to kiss her Kenna one last time before he headed off to work.

"You think you can get out of here that easily." She turned and kissed him on the lips.

"I didn't want to wake you." He whispered.

"When you're leaving a girl for God knows how long, you wake her Eliot." He sat on the bed.

"I never had a girl that I wanted to come back to before." He told her softly.

"So does that mean you want to come home?" He pushed a strand of hair out her face.

"You really think you need to ask me that?"

"This week was nice."

"We'll have more weeks Kenna. Nate saw what working nonstop did to all of us. I think he's going to back off a little." He leaned over and kissed her. "Just because I'm not here doesn't mean I'm not with you." He put his hand on her stomach. Yesterday he notices the bump was a little bigger than it had been earlier in the week. "I'll always come back…to both of you." He kissed her on the forehead and stood up.

"I'll see you when you get home."

"I could call."

"It was your rule Spencer."

"If I would have called, I might have known you were in trouble."

"It was a fluke. Let's just keep that one rule, since we keep breaking the others." She smiled. "Go before Nate sends Parker looking for you again. I believe she's seen me naked more times than Jimmy did." Eliot shook his head.

"Do you really need to be talking about your husband seeing you naked while you're lying in my bed, naked?"

"Only if it makes you think that you're the lucky one." She smiled.

"I've thought I was lucky since I was nine years old." He turned and left. Kenna threw herself back on the bed and looked up at the ceiling and let out a deep breath and hoped this job was quick and painless.


	2. Chapter 2

Home Fires

Chapter Two

"Hey Sparky." Parker tossed her body over the back of the couch. It had been three days since they started this job. Three long rainy and somewhat uneventful days.

"Parker, how old are you?" Eliot said as irritated as he could be at Parker while looking up from the file he was going over.

"I don't really know how old I am." She smiled. Eliot looked at her. "What?"

"You don't know how old you are?"

"No. I was shuffled around foster care so much they lost my birth records."

"Hardison can find that stuff out for you, can't he?" Eliot shut the file he was looking at and focused his attention on Parker.

"I don't even know my real name let alone where or when I was born." She seemed almost okay with it, which really kind of bothered Eliot.

"Parker…" Eliot wished someone else was here to help him. He was at a loss for words.

"Don't look so worried, it's not like those people meant anything to me anyway." She flipped over so her legs were on the back of the couch and her head on the bottom cushion. Her pony tail was hitting the floor. She looked at him. "What? I'm more comfortable upside down."

"You really are okay with not knowing when you were born?"

"I never really thought about it before until Hardison asked me what I wanted for my birthday last week."

"Then he knows when your birthday is." Eliot looked hopeful.

"I don't think so. I'm pretty sure we talked about it once and we decided I was a Scorpio. Whatever that means."

"It means you're resilient and that you can survive against all opposition." It did make a lot of sense. She was that and more. "And most Scorpio's are said to have old souls."

"Ewww, that doesn't sound attractive." He laughed.

"Actually an old soul is about as hot as you can get when it comes to astrology." He looked down at the thief. "So did Hardison decided the exact date of your birthday?"

"I was pushing toward Halloween but November first is what he choose."

"All Saints Day." Eliot said softly. Hardison was a hell of a lot deeper than Eliot thought. "Well then, what do you want for your birthday?" Even though it was nearly two months away, you could never be too prepared when it came to Parker.

"I want you and Kenna to cook for me."

"We cook for you all the time Parker."

"I know but maybe you can bake a cake. A huge three layer one with chocolate and strawberries and cream."

"All you want for your birthday is for us to cook?"

"I want Hardison and Nate and Sophie there too. I know that's a lot of people to cook for but you do it now and then anyway." Eliot shook his head. The woman was truly crazy.

"Okay, you got it. One dinner with a chocolate strawberry cream cake." She bounded up off the couch and hugged Eliot from behind.

"Thank you, thank you." She bounded off just as Hardison came in the door.

"Who put the pep in her step?" He asked. Eliot smiled.

"I think I did."

"You?" He sat next to Eliot. "Hey back off buddy, you have a hot mama of your own, you don't need to be hitting on mine."

"I'm not hitting on her Hardison. " Eliot looked at him. "You did good, with the whole birthday thing."

"My nana made me learn all that horoscope stuff when I was growing up."

"I dated a chick that was into it. Parker defiantly falls into the Scorpio world."

"That is no lie. So what made her so happy?"

"She wants me and Kenna to make the team dinner and a cake."

"I'll talk to Nate…I think we should make sure we're not on a job and throw her a kick ass party at the bar." Hardison started a little dance in his seat.

"Maybe she should decide. She's never had a party before Hardison…you may want to ease into the birthday bash."

"Parker will love it, we'll get a candy stuffed piñata and balloons."

"Really Hardison…baby steps. I'm telling you she's gonna freak if you have a ton of people and a donkey hanging by his neck from the calling."

"Yee of little faith." Hardison stood and headed off to find Parker and Eliot stood and went to his room and lay down on the bed. He wanted to call Kenna and tell her what he'd learned today and share it with her how he felt about scaring Parker with a big party. It would have to wait because a rule was a rule. She even thought to outlaw texting between them too. It was going to be a long job but knowing Kenna was home waiting for him gave him some comfort.

/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o

(Two Days Later)

"Damn it Hardison." Eliot took the tire iron and slammed the last of the men to the ground, giving the thief and the hacker and exit. "This is the last time you push the red line on a job. Next time I will beat the hell out of you and not feel the least bit guilty about it." Eliot slammed the door of the truck as he got in.

"Hey we got the job done." Eliot glared at him.

"You're an ass Hardison, do you know that?" A car horn blared and Eliot corrected the steering wheel. "Nate, we're headed your way."

"_We'll be waiting."_

/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o

Eliot tossed his phone on the charging mat and his keys on the counter. He grabbed an ice pack out of the freezer and a beer and an orange juice out of the fridge. It was late but he knew Kenna would be up. She had worked to eleven and it took her at least three hours to wined down after a long day. He kicked off his boots by the door and headed into the bed room. She was sitting cross legged in the middle of the bed with a book propped open in front of her and the TV on softly. All the lights were off except for the night light in the bathroom. He watched her for a minute. She reached into a bag next to her and pulled out a fortune cookie.

"Oh Kenna Shane what have you done?" He said softly. She looked at him.

"Parker left them here and I wanted something but I couldn't put my finger on it. I started eating them and I couldn't stop." He grabbed the bag from her.

"There's fruit in the fridge, along with vegetables." He handed her the orange juice.

"Thanks. I was getting a little parched."

"Serves you right for eating that cardboard." He set his beer on the bed side table and slid off his jeans.

"Parker seems to be healthy." Kenna smiled.

"Speaking of Parker." He slid into bed with her.

"Can the Parker talk wait till I get a kiss?" He leaned over and kissed her.

"You know I missed you right?" He whispered hoarsely.

"I believe your making your feeling apparent." She pushed her book aside and cuddled into him. "Tell me about your Parker problem."

"Did you know Parker doesn't know how old she is?" Kenna shook her head. "She doesn't even know when her birthday is."

"She never told me. How did it come up?"

"She was bouncing around the hotel room and I yelled at her." Kenna smiled.

"I hope you apologized."

"In a way. Apparently Hardison gave her a birthday and she wants us to cook her dinner and bake her a cake."

"Chocolate with strawberries and cream." He looked down at her.

"How did you know?"

"She bugs me almost daily to show her how I make it." Kenna ran her hand down his chest. "So Hardison made Parker a Scorpio. I would have guessed the same thing." Kenna wrapped her leg around his. "What's really bothering you?"

"Hardison wants to throw her a party at the bar. A big bash with balloons, streamers and a piñata."

"Bad idea, especially the piñata. She still has Boris and Natasha from your trip to Juarez." Kenna kissed Eliot's neck. "The duck tape fell off last week and she nearly fell apart." Eliot chuckled and ran his hand down her back and left it on her ass.

"Maybe you can talk Hardison into starting slow."

"Maybe." She pressed herself against him. "Maybe we can finish talking about this tomorrow." Kenna purred. Eliot forgot the pain in his shoulder.

"Tomorrow would be great." He said as he turned her over on her back and said hello the best way he knew how.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o

"Good morning all." Kenna said with a smile as she put the fruit salad on the table.

"Who put the wiggle in your Wheaties this morning?" Hardison asked.

"Alec, it is the first morning in six weeks that I haven't puked up my Wheaties." The orange juice squirted out of his nose and mouth. Parker snorted and laughed. Nate shook his head and Sophie took her coffee and headed out of the kitchen. "Sorry, I was just so excited…anyway how was your trip?"

"Good. How's Eliot's shoulder?" Nate asked.

"You'd have to ask him. He was gone when I got up this morning." She didn't seem worried or concerned.

"No note?"

"Not that I'm aware of. It's Wednesday Nate." She sat down and grabbed Nate's coffee cup before Parker could stop her.

"Is that supposed to mean something?" He asked.

"The Farmer's Market."

"Oh, right. Why didn't you go with him?"

"I didn't wake up in time." If on cue Eliot came in with a couple of bags.

"Morning." He leaned over and kissed Kenna. "Anyone want an omelet?"

"I do!" Parker jumped up and down and came to help Eliot.

"Sure, what the heck, I might as well." Nate answered. Sophie shook her head.

"No thank you Eliot." Sophie sipped her coffee. Hardison nodded.

"Hey Alec can you help me install that new hard drive before breakfast?"

"Yeah, sure, I guess." Hardison followed her across the hall. "Kenna, I installed your new hard drive last week before I left."

"I know." She poured herself a cup of coffee and sat at the counter. "We need to talk."

"That doesn't sound good." He sat next to her. "Is something wrong with you? With the baby?"

"No, I want to talk to you about Parker's birthday."

"Not you too."

"Can we just talk about it? Do you really think she's going to want a huge deal made out of her birthday?"

"I just want to give her something that she never had before." Kenna smiled.

"You already have Alec. You gave her a birthday. Just let her decide how she wants to celebrate. We can hang streamers and balloons up here for her. Maybe next year we can go bigger. We can see how she does at Thanksgiving with all the Spencer's and Hawk's in one place. You know crowds freak her out. We don't want another fork stabbing incident." Hardison knew Kenna was right.

"Okay, dinner and cake it is." He looked at Kenna. "I should have given into Eliot when he asked but I liked messing with him." Hardison stood. "You coming for breakfast?"

"Yeah, who could pass up one of Eliot's omelets?"

"Not me, that's for sure." The both headed back to Nate's.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/

(Four days later)

"Kenna, where's my bag!" Eliot shouted from the bedroom.

"Closet." She answered from the living room.

"I looked there."

"Look again Eliot." Kenna was under the sink trying to fix a leak.

"Kenna, it's not…" He came out of the bedroom. "What are you doing under there?"

"Fixing a damn leak, what does it look like?"

"That's Hardison's job." Kenna leaned on her elbows.

"Do you see Hardison here? Did you find your bag?"

"No." Kenna slid out from under the sink and Eliot was there to give her a hand up. He pulled her up and into his arms. "Leave it." He said.

"And ruin the floor and the cupboard? I can fix it. I'll just get your bag." She tried to pull away but he wouldn't let her go. "Eliot, I have…" His lips stopped her from saying another word. His tongue slid between her lips and his hands moved to cup her butt. Pushing her against the bar he ran his hands under her shirt and undid her bra. "Eliot…" She gasped.

"Shut up Kenna." He whispered. Kissing her hard he undid his belt. Kenna didn't know where this Eliot had come from but man was she going to miss him when he was gone. "I don't like the no call rule anymore." He said in her ear as he gently rocked against her. "Call me if you need me. Even just to say goodnight." Eliot buried his face in her hair and inhaled her scent. He wanted to carry that with him but he didn't know how. Carrying her to the couch he laid her down and finished saying goodbye the best way he knew how.


	3. Chapter 3

Home Fires

Chapter Three

Kenna tried snapping her jeans for the third time with no avail. She wasn't in the mood for this. She had to work a double shift last night and today she had promised her boss she would teach a first aid class at the local Y. The depression washed over her in a spit second. She hadn't really been ready for it. Kenna had never been a small woman. At five six she never saw herself as a beauty but lately Eliot had made her feel like the most beautiful woman in the world. Today wasn't one of those days. She looked at her phone sitting on the bed side table. She didn't want to tell him about the jeans but maybe if she just heard his voice it would make things better. She picked up the phone and dialed.

"Yeah." Eliot answered.

"Hi." She sat on the bed and closed her eyes.

"Hey." She heard wood splitting. "Something wrong?" He grunted.

"No, just…saying hi." Glass shattered.

"Hi." He answered. There was more wood splintering.

"You sound busy."

"Nothing I can't handle."

"I got to go to work…call me tonight when you have time."

"Kenna…" She hung up. Collapsing on the bed she closed her eyes and sucked in her stomach and snapped her jeans. She would be stopping at the store on the way home and buying some new clothes. Kenna knew she wouldn't be taking this so hard if Eliot had been home. Touching her belly she smiled and the depression that had hit her like a ton of bricks lifted as she felt the small bump. It was going to be okay. She wouldn't be wearing her skinny jeans for awhile but it was all going to be okay.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o

(Midnight)

Eliot sunk down into the chair in his room with an ice pack on his hip and his left elbow. Leaning back he closed his eyes and reached in his pocket for his phone. It had been nearly eight hours since Kenna had called him. She sounded sad. He dialed and waited three rings before she answered.

"Hi." The sadness was gone in her voice.

"Hey, how was your day?" He asked.

"Long. I had to teach an eight hour CPR class and work twelve hours so I'm a little beat."

"You sounded sad when you called."

"I was. But I went shopping and got over it."

"You've never been one to rely on retail therapy before."

"Sometimes some comfy PJ's do the trick." She said with her sexy southern drawl. Eliot's phone beeped with an incoming message and he looked at it.

"Kenna Shane!" Eliot's breath caught.

"You don't like them?" She asked. Eliot looked at the picture again.

"I love them." He whispered. "Maybe we should bring back the no call rule. And defiantly make a 'don't send pictures of you in your PJs rule.'" He chuckled.

"Sorry." He knew she wasn't but at least she was making an effort. He moved the ice pack on his hip to adjust other things.

"Why were you sad?" He asked.

"I couldn't snap my jeans this morning." She felt stupid telling him. He looked at the picture again and saw the slight bump under the black silk. He remembered holding her that morning and running his callused hand over it.

"I guess I can live with you walking around with them undone." His voice was smoky and his southern drawl more apparent than ever.

"You would be okay with that?" She answered.

"One less thing for me to have to do when I get home." Kenna laughed. "Who would have thought it was going to be that easy to get into your pants?"

"Sweetheart for you I wouldn't ever wear pants but the traffic in and out of your bedroom can get a little hectic."

"Our bedroom." Eliot corrected.

"What?" She asked quietly.

"It's our bedroom, our bed." He said firmly, almost angrily.

"Are you trying to tell me something cowboy?"

"Move in with me." He said more quickly than he would have liked.

"Wow, we go from not talking while you're working to making life changing decisions."

"When was the last time you were at your apartment?" She couldn't remember. "Kenna you stay at my place even when I'm gone and don't tell me it's because of the damn cat."

"I guess I just thought…when you realize that this isn't what you want, that I'm not what you want I would have someplace to go." She softly replied.

"You really think that's going to happen?" He sat up in the chair, wincing.

"I don't know what's going to happen. I have all this crap going through my head all the time. To make matters worse my hormones are spiking here and there and I don't have anyone who understands how crappy it is to pull on your damn jeans and not have them button." Eliot heard her sob.

"Call Jodi. I'm sure she's gone though the same thing."

"I know I just…"

"Kenna, do you know how hard it was for me to leave you this morning?" She was still sobbing and all he wanted to do was get on the next plane and make everything all right. "I would have stayed on that couch buried inside you all day if I could."

"Eliot."

"Listen to me. We will work this all out when I get home but right now I need you to know that if I could be there right now I would be proving to you that you are the most precious thing in the world to me and that you wanting to carry my child has made me think of things I never had a right to think about before Kenna. I love you. Don't ever forget that." Her sobs had lessened but he knew she was still a wreck. "Where are you?"

"In the kitchen." She took a deep breath trying to calm herself.

"Go in the bedroom and lie down. Don't hang up." He whispered. She did as she was told.

"Okay."

"Put the phone on the pillow and press speaker."

"Eliot, you're crazy." Kenna hiccupped and did as she was told. "Okay." Eliot started to hum. She closed her eyes than his voice came over the phone. It was a song she hadn't heard in a very long time.

"Don't go changing, to try and please me  
You never let me down before  
Don't imagine you're too familiar  
And I don't see you anymore  
I wouldn't leave you in times of trouble  
We never could have come this far  
I took the good times, I'll take the bad times  
I'll take you just the way you are

Kenna closed her eyes. His voice always soothed her. Even if he just talked to her.

Don't go trying some new fashion  
Don't change the color of your hair  
You always have my unspoken passion  
Although I might not seem to care

I don't want clever conversation  
I never want to work that hard  
I just want someone that I can talk to  
I want you just the way you are.

I need to know that you will always be  
The same old someone that I knew  
What will it take till you believe in me  
The way that I believe in you.

I said I love you and that's forever  
And this I promise from the heart  
I could not love you any better  
I love you just the way you are. " Eliot hit the last note and he knew she was asleep. He ended the call and closed his eyes. Being away from her was getting harder and harder and he didn't know how much longer he could keep it up.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/

(Four days later)

Kenna slid back under the truck and flipped the valve off the oil pan. She had the next three days off and she was already trying to find things to keep her mind off of the fact that Eliot hadn't come home yet. She had called Jodi and they had talked for hours about kids and pregnancy issues and when they hung up Kenna felt much better. Hearing the garage door open she looked toward the sound and saw a familiar pair of boots.

"Hey cowboy." She said as she slid out from under the pickup.

"What are you doing?" He handed her a rag.

"Changing the oil." Eliot offered his hand and pulled her up.

"You know they have places that do that for you." He brushed a piece of hair that had come out of her braid away from her face.

"I have time and I like tinkering." She looked at him. His eyes were smoldering. She had slipped her new teddy under her jeans and sweatshirt in hopes he would be home today. Smiling she leaned in and kissed him.

"I guess you won't have time now." He pressed her against the grill of the truck.

"I should finish, in case you need the truck for something." He kissed her again and ran his hand down her back.

"Don't have anything to do right now." Reaching under her sweatshirt he felt the silk. "How did you know I was on my way home?" He whispered.

"I hoped." Pulling away from her, he smiled.

"I need a shower. I'll meet you upstairs." Kenna stopped him. She pulled up his shirt. The whole left side of his body was black and blue. "Don't look at me like that." He said softly.

"Like what?"

"Like there was something you could do about it." He pulled away and walked out of the garage. Kenna went back to changing the trucks oil. One day his body was going to betray him and she hopped she was strong enough to be there and pick up the pieces.

/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/

Kenna set the plate down in front of Eliot and sat across from him. He hadn't said much as they prepared dinner together. They didn't have to talk. They knew each other so well that talk would have only gotten in the way of the preparation. Now, with dinner on their plates and music playing softly in the back ground it was time to discuss the bruises.

"The no call rule is back." She said.

"Kenna, it wasn't your fault." Eliot said between clenched teeth.

"Why does it feel like it is?"

"I had half the bruises before you even called me." He smiled a small smile.

"It's not funny Eliot."

"I'm not laughing." They ate in silence for a few minutes.

"Why doesn't Parker come over and say hi after a job anymore?" Kenna asked.

"They gave us twenty four hours of alone time before they swoop in." He took a sip of his wine.

"I scared you the other night?"

"Just because you called me and started crying over some stuff doesn't make my job suffer." She knew he was going to play the hard ass because he let her get in too deeply in his life.

"Do you still want me to give up my apartment?"

"Do you still have that black thing on under your sweats?" Oh, he was playing the hard ass alright.

"If I tell you yes will you let me make sure there's nothing more than a crap load of damaged tissue on that side?"

"Only if you let me exam you after." He didn't smile but Kenna could see the desire dancing in his eyes.

"There's something wrong with you Spencer."

"So they tell me." He finished his wine and stood up. "The answer to your question is yes Kenna. I want you to give up your apartment and move in here with me. Hardison actually offered me the two bedroom on the third floor. Apparently he thinks our child needs a place to sleep and doesn't think we should subject the kid to our three hour sex marathons." Putting his plate in the sink he walked over and took Kenna's. Leaning over he whispered in her ear. "I told him it was more like four." He straightened and brought the rest of the dishes to the sink.

"I've created a monster." Kenna stood up and Eliot was behind her. He put his arms around her and kissed the back of her neck.

"Can't argue with that darlin'." His hands stroked her stomach. Closing his eyes Eliot stood behind her and let out a long breath. "Let's forget about everything but the here and now." Reaching over he grabbed the remote and changed the CD in the player. Billy Joel waivered though the speakers. Kenna smiled.

"Sounds like a plan." She turned in his arms and kissed him. "Take me to bed and don't ever let me go Eliot." He picked her up.

"That was the plan Kenna Shane. That was the plan."

/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/

A/N:Thanks for reading and thank you for giving me good advice. I don't own anyone but Kenna and her unborn child. I don't own Billy Joel either but wouldn't that be nice. I was playing my itunes while writing today and it played and I thought that would be something Eliot would sing to Kenna…because he loves her just the way she is. 


	4. Chapter 4

Home Fires

Chapter Four

Kenna sat in the corner booth of the bar playing with her fries. She was tired. If she had been smart she would have stayed in bed but staying in bed alone wasn't the best way to spend your day off. Eliot had left early to run some errands and hadn't come home yet. She saw Nate come into the bar about five minutes ago but apparently he was avoiding her. Pushing her fries away she stood and headed to the back room. Nate was sitting with his paper and a cup of coffee.

"Why are you avoiding me?" She stood in the doorway, arms crossed over her chest.

"Who said I'm avoiding you." He said, not looking up from his paper.

"The fact that you walked right past me five minutes ago and didn't say a word." She walked to the table and slid into the chair across from him. "What's going on Nate?"

"We've been busy I guess." Kenna shook her head.

"Spill it Nate. Have I done something?" He looked up at her. His eyes clouded with something she hadn't seen focused toward her before.

"No Kenna, you haven't done anything. I know it was me who pushed the whole normalcy thing so I have no one to blame but myself."

"Blame for what?"

"Eliot's distractions." Nate answered angrily. He flipped over the paper and started reading again.

"I'm sorry." She sat back in her chair. "What do you want me to do about it?" Nate looked up from the paper. There was fear in her brown eyes. He folded the paper and put it on the table.

"You can't do anything Kenna. You're here for him when we get home and that's all good but he doesn't always have his head in the game when he's not here."

"I know that. I'm sorry. Short of walking away Nate, what can I do?"

"Quit your job and come with us." Kenna looked at him.

"You're kidding, right?" She looked at him. "You know Eliot wouldn't go for that."

"If it meant you sticking close I don't think he'll have a problem."

"If I can promise to make sure he keeps his head in the game, even when you're gone, would that work?"

"You think you can do that?"

"I know that if I'm with you it will only make things worse. He'll always be wondering if a mark will come looking for him and find me. I really don't think being held up in a hotel room for days at time is the most appealing of solutions."

"I need my hitter back full force. We have a big job coming up."

"I'll take care of it." She stood up. "If you have a problem with me Nate, don't be afraid to talk it out. You're the one who said you would have our backs when we decided to try to make a go of this."

"I know. I still believe in the two of you. I just don't want to see Eliot hurting like he had been." Kenna nodded.

"I checked him over last night. His ribs are tender on the left side but he should be good to go in a couple of days." Kenna stood. "Dinner tonight?"

"Yeah, I'll check with Sophie." He looked at her. "How are you doing?"

"Better now."

"You really do make him a better person, you know that?"

"So he keeps telling me. Call me when you and Sophie decide on dinner."

0/00/0/0/0/0/0/0/0

"Damn it Hardison." Eliot looked at the Hacker. He was installing a nanny came in the bedroom and the lights went out. Down the block.

"It wasn't me." He said as he adjusted another set of wires and the lights came on.

"It wasn't you? Try again Hardison." Eliot looked around the empty room. In six months a baby was going to sleep in here. His baby. It seemed strange to be thinking about nanny cams and cribs after years of fighting just to survive.

"You okay man?" Hardison was standing in front of him.

'Yeah, just thinking." Eliot handed Hardison the other camera.

"A little paranoid?" Hardison asked. Eliot looked at him

"Do you really want to go there again with me Hardison?"

"Not really. Should I get some lasers and motion detectors?"

"Now you're just messen' with me and its pissin' me off." Eliot stomped away. Kenna was sitting on the counter in the empty kitchen with Parker.

"Do you two ever use chairs?" He asked.

"Somebody woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning." Parker said as she rolled her eyes. Kenna grabbed him and pulled him against the counter.

"Maybe he would be in a better mood if he would have stayed in bed a little longer." She kissed his cheek.

"Over sharing people." Parker said with her hands over her ears.

"I think we're embarrassing our little friend." Eliot smiled. Kenna wrapped his arms around him.

"I thought she was over the PDA thing." She looked at Parker. She had her eyes closed and her hands still covering her ears.

"She'll neck with Hardison in the middle of a party but she closes her eyes in the privacy of our apartment. Something's wrong there." Eliot slapped Parker's knee. She opened her eyes.

"Are you two done?" She glared at them.

"Not by a long shot but if it makes you squirm we can take it downstairs."

"The hell you will." Hardison came out of the bedroom. Y'all need to help me with the alarm system or we'll be here till Christmas."

"I thought you were the master of all things electronic." Eliot teased.

"I'm doing this for her, not you." Hardison pointed to Kenna. "She's always been nice to me. You are just mean Eliot Spencer." The hacker went to work on the new alarm system. Eliot chuckled and went to work helping Hardison.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o

Dinner with Nate and Sophie was a quiet affair but when Nate started talking about leaving for the next job tomorrow Kenna wasn't sure she was prepared.

"It's two weeks Kenna." Eliot sat on the couch and watched her pace back and forth.

"I know. I know." She was wound tight.

"The new security systems up and running and we'll move everything before we leave."

"I want to come with you." Kenna turned and looked at him.

"Kenna, I thought you and Nate had this discussion."

"He wanted me to quit my job. This is one job."

"I won't put you in the line of fire this way." Eliot stood up and went to the window. They had had gotten wind of a doctor who was picking and choosing who got organ transplants and it wasn't sitting well with any of them.

"This guy has let children die Eliot." She watched him. His back was stiff and his hands were balled into fists.

"You don't think I know that." He turned and looked at her. "What makes you think he won't think twice about killing someone who got in his way?"

"Because you wouldn't let that happen. Nate has some medical background because of Sam but I'm better. I can do this Eliot. I need to do this." Eliot looked into her eyes. "What if it were our child." She whispered. "I think we all need to be there for Nate." He knew she was right.

"You don't leave my side." He ground out. Kenna stood up and went to him. He wasn't in the mood to play any games and she knew it.

"It's the only place I ever wanted to be." She whispered as she kissed his cheek, down his jaw and than his lips. Eliot didn't make a move to touch her. Her lips moved over his and he felt her move closer to him.

"I already said yes to you coming along Kenna, you don't need to convince me." He looked into her eyes. They were dark with desire. She just smiled and turned and headed to bed. Eliot watched her walk away. "You know your won't be satisfied with just that." He called to her. Turning around she smiled.

"You know where to find me." She laughed and turned around going into the bedroom. Eliot took his phone and dialed Nate.

"It's late Eliot." He said as a greeting.

"Kenna's in." Eliot told him.

"Are you sure?"

"Nate we need someone with her medical knowledge for this job and even four months pregnant she's a force to be reckoned with."

"You should know that better than anybody."

"Yeah, we'll see you in the morning."

"Tell Kenna thank you."

"I will. Goodnight Nate."

"Night." Eliot hung up and went to find Kenna.


	5. Chapter 5

Home Fires

Chapter Five

(Two Days Later)

Kenna sat on the chair across from Nate, with her elbows on her knees and looked at him. He was a little green around the gills and she could tell he was itching for a drink.

"Let me and Eliot do this Nate." She looked into his eyes. They were full of grief and sadness.

"I can do it Kenna." He stood. Kenna straightened and leaned back against the chair. She watched him pace the small room. The hospital had freaked him out from the get go and Kenna knew this was going to get worse.

"Nate you do you trust me?" He turned and looked at her.

"You know I do." And he did. He trusted her to be there for Eliot when he needed her. He trusted her to be Parker's friend when no one else was. He trusted her skills to pull this job off but he didn't need her to do his job for him.

"You're in our heads Nate. We won't make a move without your approval." Eliot stood next to him. "You and Sophie can't do the hospital thing and we understand that. Let us do this for you." Nate looked at the hitter and the paramedic.

"You need to convince them that Parker needs this heart."

"We know Nate. Trust us." He looked at them. He had only five people in this world he trusted other than himself, now with Kenna it was six.

"Okay." Nate sat down with the file. "Hardison will set up your cover."

"Husband and wife, sick sister?"

"That will do nicely. You come from money so it won't be a problem to buy a heart." Eliot looked at the file of the doctor.

"Apparently this guy needs a soul transplant." He looked at Nate, who was slowly getting his color back. "Let's get this guy." Kenna nodded. She knew it would all be okay. Nate trusted the two of them to get the job done and she was going to no matter what it took.

/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o

"UNOS put my sister on the bottom of list when she had a set back with her addiction." Eliot sat across from Dr. Brussels. Kenna sat next to him holding his hand. "Alice is my only family other than my wife. I can't lose her this way. She's made mistakes Dr. Brussels. We all have. She wants to be clean and sober for her little niece or nephew." Eliot motioned to Kenna's stomach.

"I've gone over your sister's paperwork. Everything seems in order but her insurance."

"She has basic coverage. Being her heart was preexisting condition it won't cover any part of her treatment." Kenna tapped her foot to look somewhat nervous. She planted the microphone discreetly under the doctor's desk.

"Who's going to cover the expenses?"

"That's not a problem." Eliot handed a file to the doctor. It was a fake financial report Hardison had created. The doctor looked nearly ecstatic when he looked at the papers.

"You must really want your sister to become a patient of mine." Eliot nodded.

"My sister means everything to me." The doctor nodded.

"Let me talk this over with my colleagues and I'll get back to you by the end of the week." He stood. Eliot and Kenna followed.

"Thank you." Eliot shook the older man's hand. The doctor left the office with the file of Daniel McMann's financials.

"Think he bought it?" Kenna asked.

"I think he bought it." Eliot said.

"_Oh he bought it alright. He's running to his board as we speak. Parker's on her way to help you get his files." Nate said. Parker popped out of the air vent. "Eliot you got the door. "_

"I'm on it."

"_I got Sophie on Brussels. Hardison's watching the security cams. We'll meet back at the hotel." _

"You got it Nate." Eliot went to the door. "Move fast ladies. This was too easy." Kenna started at one end of the files and Parker at the other.

"_Eliot, you got company coming." Hardison said._

"Damn it, I knew this was too easy. Parker get out of here."

"Three more files."

"Now Parker." Eliot said angrily. She got the last three files and pulled herself up though the vent. Kenna came up behind him and he pushed her against the wall.

"_Eliot they're right on top of you."_ The door burst open and Kenna grabbed Eliot and kissed him.

"Who the hell are you?" The blond security guard looked at them. Eliot's balled up his fists. Kenna's hand went down his arm.

"We're the McMann's; we had an appointment with Dr. Brussels."

"Dr. Brussels left ten minutes ago."

"I know my husband was a little upset so…I thought I should calm him down before we left." The man looked at Eliot. If the man had any sense he would know that it wasn't grief in Eliot's eyes.

"You need to leave the office." Kenna smiled.

"Thank you for understanding." She took Eliot's hand and pulled him out of the office. They walked out of the office and into the hospital corridor.

"That was close." Eliot pulled Kenna into the elevator. He pushed the lobby button.

"_You two okay?" Nate asked._

"Yeah, we're coming in." Eliot took Kenna's phone and sent Hardison the files. He slipped it back into her pocket and ran his hand down her cheek. Turning off his com and hers he pressed against the back of the elevator and hit the emergency stop button. "You ever push it like Parker did today and it will be the last job I let you work."

"Shouldn't you be scolding Parker?"

"I don't sleep with Parker." He kissed her. Kenna smiled.

"Let's keep it that way." Eliot pushed the button again the elevator started again. Eliot slid his hand down Kenna's arm and took a hold of her hand. They both turned back their coms and headed back to the hotel.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/

Kenna looked out at the sunset. Hardison was going over Brussels financials and Sophie was sharing what she had learned from the hospital gossip mill. She knew Nate and Eliot were watching her. They thought she wasn't up to this and it showed in the way they both hovered over her when she had gotten back from the hospital a half hour ago. Playing with the rings on her left hand she ignored the two men and listened to Sophie.

"Kenna, can you look at this?" Hardison asked. Kenna went behind him and looked at the file he was reading. "Does that mean what I think it means?" She read a little farther down. There was a lot of medical rigmarole but it all seemed to come down to one thing. Harvesting organs.

"Have you run a missing persons and john doe suspicious deaths?"

"No."

"You might want to do that. Probably within at least a hundred mile radius."

"What did you find?" Nate asked. Kenna straightened and stood.

"It seems that they aren't getting their organs from donations and passing people up." Kenna turned and slammed a file in front of Nate. "They're taking them."

"You mean like…taking them from people without asking?" Hardison looked at Kenna.

"Yeah. They're taking them." Kenna crossed her arms across her chest. She looked at the five people in the room. "You didn't know about this?" She glared at Nate.

"All I know is that the client told me that Brussels was selling organs to the highest bidder. I didn't know how he was getting them."

"This isn't a fight for us. This is something for the police to look into."

"Kenna, we have a client. A client who needs our help."

"Nate, these people kill innocent people for their body parts. " Kenna paced in front of him. "He won't think twice about killing someone who gets in his way."

"You're free to go home." Nate stood. He walked out the door and didn't look back. Sophie looked at Eliot and Kenna.

"Now you've done it." She stood up. "He's teetering on the edge and if he can't make this right for the Zimmerman's he may just go over it. " Sophie stormed off to the other room.

"I'll go talk to him." Eliot got up.

"No, I did this, I'll fix it." Kenna said and she followed Nate out the door. She knew exactly where he would go. The bar next door was not the kind of place Nate would be easily lost in. There was more leather than linen. Kenna stopped at the truck and pulled her leather jacket on. She walked into the bar and found Nate at the bar.

"You really need to go home Kenna." He looked at her. His hands wrapped around a glass of amber colored liquid.

"The day Eliot left Kentucky I didn't get out of bed." Kenna looked at him. "The second day I found Billy's moonshine stash. I went on a three day bender. I was fifteen." The bartender came to her. "Soda." The bartender nodded.

"Why are you telling me this?"

"I know what it's like to think you need it to get by." Kenna took a drink of her soda. "I also know what it's like to lose somebody for stupid reasons."

"I didn't mean to snap at you." He pushed the drink away. "You were the last person I thought would back out of this."

"I'm not backing out Nate. I just want us to think this through."

"I was jumping the gun. We should have researched this a little better." He looked at her. "I'm sorry." Kenna smiled. "We need to look into the missing homeless and other things surrounding the organs they are harvesting."

"You're the boss. I shouldn't have been so bitchy."

"Let's get back to the others. I have a feeling Eliot's vain is bulging." Nate threw down some bills and they headed back to the hotel.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/

"How can a doctor do something so heartless?" Eliot and Kenna were in bed. It was late and neither one of them could sleep.

"Money is always the reason. You know that." Kenna ran her hand down Eliot's chest. The bruises from the last job just starting to fade. So far this job hadn't resulted in Eliot fighting anyone but it had only been three days. He grabbed her hand and brought it up to his lips.

"I guess that's what it all boils done to." Kenna closed her eyes and snuggled closer to him. "You did good with Nate tonight."

"I'm always good at pissing people off."

"But you always fix it." He kissed the top of her head. "I have a feeling we make it though this and Nate just might be okay."

"I hope so." Kenna said.

"Me too." Eliot closed his eyes. "Good night Kenna."

"Night cowboy." She snuggled closer to him hoping to keep him there longer than his normal couple of hours but she knew the minute she shifted enough for him to leave he would. But till then she hand him to hold onto and keep the nightmares away.

/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o

Kenna woke up alone. She knew she would. Eliot's sleep patterns were getting better but he still didn't stay in bed longer than he needed to unless they were doing more than sleeping. Kenna sat up and saw Eliot sitting at the table.

"What's wrong?" She looked at him.

"How long have you been having the nightmares?" He said softly.

"Since Iceland." She answered. "I usually don't get them when your home with me." He looked at her.

'You've been having them when I'm gone?"

"Not every night." She got up and went to him. "They'll go away."

"Kenna…" She kneeled down in front of him.

"The nightmares are nothing. They come and go and I wake up and I know they're not real. They will stop." She took his hand.

"How long?" She shook her head. "How long have you had them on and off."

"Since I was fourteen." Since he left her in Kentucky,

"Why haven't I seen it before?"

"Because when you're with me I don't normally get them. I guess I must have been over stressed or something." He pulled her up onto his lap.

"When this job is over we're going to take a vacation." Kenna smiled.

"Nate's not going to let that happen." She kissed him. "Let's go back to bed for a little while." Kenna whispered in his ear.

"Sounds like a plan." He lifted her up and carried her to the bed.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o

Kenna walked along the river and enjoyed the peace and quiet. The leaves were just starting to change and the crisp air felt good on her skin. She had left the team back at the hotel looking over missing person's reports. She had to get out for a bit.

"Mrs. McMann." A voice came from behind her. Kenna turned.

"Dr. Brussels." Kenna reached for her ear bud and turned it on. "Fancy meeting you here."

"_Kenna?" Eliot was in her head._

"I talked to the board yesterday and we have a few questions for you and your husband."

"We could stop by later today." She stood in front of the doctor,

"_I'm on my way, where are you?" Eliot asked._

"That would be good." The doctor answered.

"What brings you to the park's river walk so early in the morning?"

"I live on the other side of the park. It's a nice walk to the hospital." He looked Kenna up and down.

"When are you due?"

"February. We waited a long time for this baby. And if we can make Alice better it will be such a load off of Daniel."

"This had been really hard on your husband?"

"More than you know. With problems conceiving and Alice's addiction and than her being knocked down the transplant list it's been hell. He's not even really happy about the baby." Kenna looked up behind the doctor and saw Eliot. She shook her head and he stopped.

"This has been hard on you too. It's not good for the baby."

"I know, but for the man I love, I would endure anything." Eliot looked at her. She smiled. "We'll do whatever it takes to make Alice better Dr. Brussels."

"I will deal with the board Mrs. McMann. You and your husband bring your sister to the hospital tomorrow and we'll start her work up."

"Thank you Dr. Brussels, my husband will be forever grateful."

"Don't fret young lady. We will get your sister in law healthy and you're husband will be back to the man you fell in love with." He said good-bye. The man continued walking toward the hospital and Kenna walked toward Eliot who stayed hidden behind a tree.

"Okay, now what?" Kenna sat on the bench and watched Brussels walk down the path. Eliot leaned against the tree.

"We have to bring Parker to the hospital in the morning." Eliot answered.

"Okay, so how do we fake her blood work up?" Kenna asked whoever was listening.

"_Come back to the hotel and we'll figure it all out." Nate replied. _

"You heard the boss." Eliot took Kenna's hand and they headed back to the hotel.

/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o

"Three security guards that work for the good doctor Brussels are also on the list of volunteers for the homeless shelter." Hardison informed them when they got back.

"So the guards are scooping up healthy homeless people to harvest their organs?" Eliot said.

"What are they doing with the bodies after they harvest the organs?" Sophie asked.

"Forensic Fields." Kenna answered.

"Forensic Fields?" Parker asked.

"Medical facilities and CSI's have farms to gauge decomposition, timing and circumstances of death. People who donate their bodies to science are sometimes used. It's a great place to hide a body you don't want found."

"Don't they have some sort of…security measures so bodies aren't dumped?" Nate looked at Kenna.

"Not if you run the place." Hardison said as he found the land owned by the hospital that housed a body farm.

"Alright then. We need to get someone into that homeless shelter and make sure they are healthy and Brussels men find them worth harvesting." Nate said as he turned to Hardison. The other four people in the room did the same thing.

"Oh hell no." Hardison stood up. He shook his head. "Hell no." Eliot smiled.

"Hell yes man. Hell yes." This job might turn out better than he though.


	6. Chapter 6

Home Fires

Chapter Six

"You can't make me." Hardison said as he stood at the door of the hotel room.

"You want to bet?" Eliot said smiling.

"No. Absolutely not." He replied.

"Come on Hardison. Take one for the team." Kenna said as she leaned against the desk.

"It's what they're going to take from me that worries me." Hardison said, looking a little pale. Nate stood next to his hacker.

"We won't let anything happen to you." Nate said reassuringly. "I'll back you up and Eliot, Kenna, Parker and Sophie need to be at the hospital."

"It's only three blocks to the shelter from the hospital I can be there at the first sign of trouble." Eliot informed him.

"You'll wait till they make the first incision." Hardison said.

"Come on Hardison, I give you crap but you know I have your back and all your vital organs." Eliot said.

"Promise?" Hardison looked him in the eye.

"I swear on my life." Eliot raised his right hand.

"Okay. Now how are we going to get the tests on Parker to show she needs a heart transplant?" Hardison raised his eye brows.

"I have an idea about that." Kenna walked to the desk and punched up a screen on the computer. "If we have a couple of vials of blood from a heart failure patient and with a little slip and slide with the tech we might be able to pull it off."

"So how do we get the blood?" Nate asked.

"There's a nursing home about a mile down the road. I have a name of a nice old lady who is itching for some company and I'm sure Nurse Kenna can talk her into donating a few vials of her blood." Eliot looked at his girlfriend.

"You're going to steal blood from an old lady?" He asked. Kenna looked at him.

"She's an old friend. I tell her what's going on she'll be more than happy to help us."

"Really?" Eliot asked.

"I do have other friends in this world."

"I mean you know…lever mind." He wasn't going argue.

"You want to come with me?" She asked grabbing her coat.

"Yeah."

"Ooo, can I come?" Parker asked.

"You suppose to be sick; if someone sees you up and about you might not be believable." Nate said. "Hang out here with Hardison and help him get ready for his homeless endeavor." He motioned to Kenna and Eliot.

"Be careful." Eliot nodded and lead Kenna out of the hotel and out to the truck. He helped her in and went around to his side.

"Nate, we have eyes on the room." He said. Kenna saw them too.

"I count at least two teams."

"_Brussels security?" Nate asked_.

"No, state police." Eliot answered.

"_Kenna, call Bonanno. Find out why his men are sitting on us."_

"Let's hope it's to pull our asses out of the fire if this thing goes south." Kenna said as she dialed and Eliot pulled out of the drive.

"Bonanno." The older man answered after only one ring.

"It's Kenna Hawks."

"Do you know how deep you're friends are in my investigation Hawks?"

"You tell me."

"I'm not asking them to pull out but I can't support what they're doing."

"I'll have the files sent to you as soon as we wrap this up." Kenna looked in the mirror and saw the car following them. "So your men are just keeping an eye out?" She asked.

"Let's just say they're there to protect you from yourselves." Bonanno answered.

"Two days and it'll be done." Kenna replied.

"We'll talk soon." The man hung up.

"Do we have to do everything around here?" Kenna asked. "Nate do you get all that?"

"_Yeah. Thanks for clearing that up for us." He said sarcastically."Get the blood and head to the back here."_

"Okay, see you soon." Kenna and Eliot turned off their coms. Eliot pulled into the nursing home parking lot.

"Are you sure this woman is going to let you take her blood?" Eliot asked.

"Positive." Kenna answered as he pulled into the parking lot. "You doubt my skills?"

"Darlin' I think you can talk a rat out of his cheese but an old woman out of her bodily fluids…I have to go with the old woman." Kenna smiled.

"Come on cowboy and I'll show you how it's done." She got out of the truck and headed into the nursing home, Eliot right behind her.

"You're just going to walk in there and ask this woman for blood." He opened the door for her.

"Yes." She stopped at the front desk.

"Hey Kenna. Long time no see." The nurse smiled at her and handed her a visitor's badge.

"Hi Lanie." Kenna signed in for her and Eliot. The woman handed Eliot a badge. "This is my boyfriend Eliot."

"Hi." The older woman smiled. "She's in room six eighteen."

"Thanks." Kenna walked down the hall with Eliot.

"You've been here before?"

"When I lived in New York I came down here a couple of times of a month. I even tried to get here when I moved to Boston but it wasn't so easy." She stopped at the room and knocked.

"Come in." Said a feeble voice.

"Hey Mrs. Bailey." Kenna pushed the door open.

"? Our biology teacher?" Eliot whispered.

"Yeah, she loved that I became a nurse." Kenna smiled. "Hey beautiful." She went to the old woman and hugged her.

"It's been too long Kenna girl."

"I'm sorry. I've been a little busy." Kenna stood and moved her jacket to show the old woman her small baby bump.

"Oh lord girl you have been misbehavin'." The old woman's eyes lit up. She looked passed Kenna to Eliot. "And with a fine looking man at that. Is that you Eliot Spencer?"

"Yes ma'am." He took a step forward.

"He came back for you." The old woman whispered.

"Yeah, he did." Kenna sat on the bed. "How have you been Jewels?"

"It gets harder everyday but you know you made my day today." The woman reached for her hand. "When is she due?"

"She?" Kenna smiled. "You think it's a girl?"

"What do you think?"

"February. But I think your making Eliot sweat." Kenna said looking at him. She turned back to her old friend and teacher. "I need a favor Jewels."

"Anything for you Kenna." The teacher grasped her hand. "You've done more for me than you'll ever know young lady." Kenna smiled and fought the tears that were threatening.

"I need three vials of your blood." Kenna said without pretence.

"Take what you need." The woman answered.

"You're not going to ask why?" Eliot asked.

"How well do you know this woman Eliot Spencer?" His old teacher asked and looked at him with sharp green eyes.

"I'd say pretty well." He looked at Kenna then back to the woman

"Then you know why I'm not asking why." He nodded. Kenna pulled the sterile needle and three files from her pocket. Taking a band from her other pocket she took the old ladies arm and had the task done before Eliot could say another word.

"You still have the best veins in all of Kentucky Jewels." Kenna sealed the vials in bag and handed them to Eliot. "Thank you."

"I want to see that baby when she comes into the world Kenna Hawks." Kenna leaned over and kissed the woman.

"I will drive up as soon as they cut the cord." The woman chuckled.

"You always had the smart mouth girl." The old woman looked a hundred percent better than when they walked in.

"That's what I keep telling her." Eliot smiled. Kenna stood.

"I will call you soon Jewels. You take care of yourself."

"You too. Thank you for stopping by."

"Next time I promise we will stay longer."

"It was nice to see you Mrs. Bailey."

"It's good to know she has you back Eliot." The old woman smiled at him. Eliot guided Kenna out of the room. They walked down the hall a few steps and Eliot grabbed Kenna's hand and stopped her.

"How did you and our high school biology teacher get to be so close?" Kenna looked into Eliot's eyes.

"She got me cleaned up after…" She looked away but he cupped her jaw and made her look at him.

"After what Kenna?"

"After you left. I got pretty wild. I started cutting school and hanging out with the stoners under the bleachers. I never did anything stronger than booze but I came close. Mrs. Bailey busted me one day and put me on the path of least destruction."

"She sure knew how to teach the hell out of biology." Eliot let go of Kenna. "Why didn't you tell me this before?"

"Would it of made a difference Eliot?"

"Maybe." He whispered. Turning he headed to the truck. Kenna watched him walk away. She swallowed hard and followed him. Stopping at the desk she handed Lanie a check and headed to the truck.

0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/

"What now?" Parker sat across from Kenna in the hotel dining room.

"What are you talking about?"

"Eliot and you haven't looked at each other since you got back from the little blood drive."

"Yes we have."

"No you have not." Parker argued Hardison slid into the chair next to Parker.

"I'm with her. He hasn't even glanced your way in like four hours." Kenna leaned back in her chair.

"You two are crazy." Kenna shook her head. She turned to see Eliot at the bar with Nate. Maybe they were crazy but Eliot was ignoring her. "I should have never kept it from him." She said.

"Kept what?" Parker looked at her friend.

"I didn't take him leaving as well as I lead him to believe." Kenna answered. Standing up she headed back to the room."I'll talk to you guys in the morning." He was right to be mad. She hadn't been honest about how his leaving had affected her. Unlocking the door Kenna threw her jacket on the bed and headed to the bathroom. She undressed and started the tub. It was times like this that a good shot of bourbon would go down so damn good right now. Sliding into the tub she closed her eyes.

"You need to eat." She had heard his footsteps but she didn't open her eyes.

"I'll order something later." Eliot sat on the floor next to the tub.

"When were you going to tell me about the nightmares and the hole you were in for over a year?"

"I was hoping it would never come up." She opened her eyes and looked at him. She touched his hair.

"Tell me now."

"Isn't it a little late for burning that bridge."

"Tell me." He ordered.

"You didn't know that I was hurting back then Eliot. No one knew."

"I knew. That's why I stayed as long as I did."

"So I'm to blame for you suffering Billy's wrath for so long." Kenna's voice trembled. He turned and looked at her.

"No Kenna, God no." He touched her cheek. "I stayed because I wanted to. I stayed because I loved you."

"I was just a kid. You couldn't love me." Tears fell down her cheeks.

"Kenna you were the only girl I ever said the words to. The only woman I wanted to have in my life. Then and now." He leaned over the edge of the tub and kissed her. Kenna pulled him closer, deepening the kiss. The water splashed up and Eliot lost his grip on the edge of the tub and slid in with Kenna.

"You're all wet Spencer." Kenna said, laughing. He kissed her again, not caring how wet he got.

"I love you Kenna Shane." Eliot said between kisses.

"I love you too cowboy." It was a long time before room services was ordered but it was well worth the wait.


	7. Chapter 7

Home Fires

Chapter Seven

The hospital was bustling. Eliot pushed a pale Parker following the nurse. Kenna next to them.

"This is not part of the main hospital." Parker informed them.

"Do you think they harvest murdered peoples organs in the surgical wing." Eliot ground out. Kenna knew he was tense. He wanted to be with Nate and Hardison to keep them safe but he knew he had to be here to make the con work.

"Take a breath Spencer and calm down."

"You saw those security guys Kenna. Nate and Hardison don't have a chance if they get backed into a corner."

"_Eliot, we're fine." Nate told him though the com. "Get Parker settled; we'll go from there." _

"You're the boss." Eliot growled. He felt Kenna touch the small of his back and he felt a little more relaxed. "Let's get this over with so we can get the hell out of here."

"_The doctor's on his way." Sophie said to them._

"Let's hope he's in a hurry." Kenna said as they went into the room the nurse showed them to. Parker got out of the chair and sat on the bed.

"We just need to draw some blood and we can get things started." The nurse smiled and took out some supplies from her box. It didn't take makeup to make Parker pale because the sight of the needle drained all the color from the thief's face.

"Take a deep breath Alice." Kenna held onto her hand. Parker looked her friend in the eye.

"Thank you for being here." She said. Kenna smiled.

"Where else would I be." Kenna told her. Parker looked a little woozy. If Kenna hadn't been holding the woman's hand she would have fallen over. Kenna looked at Eliot. He shook his head, confused. "Alice!" Kenna laid Parker down on the bed and put her feel up. The nurse pulled the last vial out of her arm and set them in her box.

"I think she just fainted." The nurse checked her pulse and pupils.

"Alice, talk to me honey." Eliot switched places with Kenna and held the younger woman's hand as the nurse tried to revive her. Kenna stood back and switched the vials just as Parker started to come to.

"She's okay." The nurse said.

"You scared us kid." Eliot ran a hand down Parker's cheek.

"Sorry." She whispered. Kenna went next to the bed.

"No need to be sorry." She held reached for Parker's hand. Then nurse took her box and headed out.

"We're all set here Nate." Eliot told his boss.

"_Okay, the doctor's men are looking Hardison over." It was a long shot that they would choose a newcomer but Nate was betting that Hardison, being new would not be missed if he never came around again._

"Just give me the word and I'm down there." Eliot said just as Dr. Brussels and Sophie came into the room.

"Miss Mc Mann, a pleasure." The doctor shook her hand that Eliot wasn't holding.

"Doctor." Parker smiled a small smile.

"As soon as those blood test get back we'll find you a donor."

"It's that easy?" Kenna asked.

"It's that easy." Brussels said. "Now you all sit back and my patient advocate will talk over logistics with you." The doctor left. Eliot looked at Sophie.

"Logistics?"

"He wants two million in cash." Sophie looked at Parker and Eliot.

"Cash. Where the hell are we supposed to get two million in cash?" Eliot said angrily. "We knew it was going to be a lot but cash, Sophie."

"He's scared to take a check, even a cashier's check because it can be traced."

"So how do we get two million in cash?" Parker looked at the people around her. Kenna took out her phone.

"What account do you want it in?" She looked at Eliot.

"You have two million dollars just lying around?" He chuckled.

"Doesn't everybody?" She looked surprised. "Hardison, easiest to access account?"

"_The First Federal. Please hurry, I would like to know you're at least heading this direction."_

"I'm on my way. Kenna will go to the bank and I'll come save your ass from organ thieves."

"_Thank you." Hardison replied._

"You watch your back Kenna." He handed her the keys to the truck.

"Don't I always?" She smiled. Eliot knew she did but once burned, twice shy he always said. They walked out of the room and down the hall together.

"Are you going to tell me about the money?"

"I made some good investments. Pulled out before the recession. I bought the farm and still had a pretty nice some left over."

"Can I ask how much is a nice some?" Kenna wrapped her arms around his and smiled.

"Let's just say our child will not be going to a state college."

"I went to a state college." Eliot opened the door for her.

"And look how you turned out."

"_Seriously guys, big huge gun toting men following me. Could you stop your witty flirting cause you know you're going home with each other and come save my ass."_

"On my way Hardison." He leaned over and kissed her. "Stay safe darlin'."

"You too." They parted ways in the parking lot. Kenna went to the bank and Eliot headed toward the homeless shelter.

0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/

Hardison was walking toward the park when the men approached him. I was still light out but the park seemed more deserted than it should be. If he would have been facing the men he would have seen them raise their guns. Eliot came behind them.

"Hey." He said. The two men turned around and Eliot was the last thing the two men saw for a very long time.

"It took you long enough." Hardison said.

"Just be happy I didn't hit traffic." They dragged the two men into the bushes. "Let's go Hardison."

"What if these guys wake up and tell the good doctor his patient's brother just kicked their ass?

"We're going to be long gone before these guys wake up." They headed out of the park.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o

Kenna stood at the bank manager's desk. She looked at her watch. The bank had taken far too much time to gather the money and it was getting late. She hated leaving Parker alone in that cold hospital alone.

"I'm so sorry Mrs. Mc Mann, our New Your branch's computer went down in a storm earlier today. " The man smiled.

"I really do have to get back to the hospital."

"It will only be a few more minutes." Something wasn't right.

"I have five." She sat down and crossed her legs. The manager scurried away. "Nate, something's wrong."

"_Why do you say that?" He asked._

"It should have taken no more than an hour to get that kind of money from a bank this size. I'm going on two."

"_Hardison can you check on what's going on at the bank?" Nate asked._

"_I'm on it." Hardison said._

"_You need me at the bank Kenna?" Eliot asked her._

"I might." The bank manager came with a bank bag. "The monies on the way." Kenna stood and took the bag. "Thank you."

"Would you like to have one of our guards ask you out." Kenna smiled and headed out the door.

"No thanks, I have my own." She headed to the truck but stopped when the hair on the back of her neck stood up. She flipped the keys in her hand so they were between her fingers as she felt the barrel of the gun against her temple.

"I can't believe you went for the cash." Dr. Brussels said.

"I did it for Alice."

"Does your husband know you have that much cash available at a moment's notice?"

"He didn't care where we got it from." The man pulled Kenna against him.

"My men are missing and there is no donor. Do you know anything about that Mrs. Mc Mann?"

"Me, what would I know about your men or the donor?" Eliot came around the truck.

"Let her go Brussels." Eliot said between clenched teeth.

"Oh look, it's your loving husband." He pulled her closer against him.

"Let her go you son of a bitch."

"What's your game?" The doctor pressed the gun harder against Kenna's temple.

"I just want my sister well and my wife safe. The money is yours. Just take it and its all good."

"Your game Mc Mann?" Kenna's eyes told him everything he needed to know. Her hands wrapped protectively around their child and her foot ready to nail the arch of the man's foot, the keys ready to jab him. Eliot nodded and Kenna lifted her foot and brought down hard on Brussels instep, swinging around she got Brussels in the face with the keys. She threw herself over the hood of the truck and let Eliot take care of the good doctor. He took him out in less than three punches but he almost didn't stop until he heard Kenna's voice.

"It's over Eliot." Bonanno's men came up behind him and picked the doctor off the cement. Kenna went to him and put her arms around him and hugged him as tight as she could. "I'm okay cowboy. I'm okay." She felt his arms tighten around her. "It's over." Kenna whispered.

"Where the hell were they when the bastard had a gun to your head?" He said hoarsely.

"They knew you could get the job done." She said against his shoulder.

"What's wrong?"

"Get me out of her Eliot." She whispered. He put her in the truck and got in.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Kenna nodded. Grabbing his hand she pressed it against her stomach. He felt movement. Eliot looked at her.

"The babies moving."

"Yeah, she is."

"You believe Mrs. Bailey?"

"I don't know. It sounds kind of nice though, doesn't it?" Kenna smiled. He moved his hand and pulled her next to him.

"You scared the hell out of me back there."

"We send the tapes and the files to Bonanno and this job is done."

"And we can go home." He kissed her.

"Mmmm, baby I like the sound of that." Eliot pulled out and headed to the hospital to get Sophie and Parker.


	8. Chapter 8

Home Fires

Chapter Eight

(Two Days Later)

Eliot sat in the doctor's office again. He was really starting to hate this part of Kenna's pregnancy. The decade old magazines and hormonal women was enough to drive a sane man over the edge. At least this time there was other men in the mix so he didn't look so out of place.

"You need to smile a little Eliot. Your scaring people."

"Do you remember what happened the last time we were here?" He said raising his eye brows.

"Other than you trying to get in my pants?" He glared at her.

"You need to stop hanging out with Parker. Your filters are becoming clogged." Kenna smiled. She didn't really care about the looks she was getting this time around. Eliot was in this for the long haul.

"You like when my filters are clogged." Kenna leaned over and put her head on his shoulder.

"Did you OD on happy pills this morning woman?"

"I woke up in my own bed next to a really great guy and I'm going to get felt up by a really nice woman doctor so why wouldn't I be in the best mood ever."

"Your sarcasm is in lighting." He leaned over and kissed her. The nurse called her name. They stood up and followed her in to the room.

"How are you doing Kenna?"

"I'm great Angie, how are you?"

"Good." The nurse took her blood pressure. "Much better than last time." She smiled. "Dr. Barns is on her way from the hospital so just change into your gown and she should be here."

"Thanks." Kenna took off her jacket.

"Don't need any help this time?" Eliot raised his eyebrows.

"If it will make you happy." She raised her arms and he took off her shirt and undid her bra.

"Seeing you naked always makes me happy darlin'." He slid down her jeans and she stepped out of them as he slid on the gown. He kissed her and folded up her clothes and set them on the chair. The doctor knocked and came in.

"Hey, you two. Sorry I'm late. Babies are not waiting today." She smiled.

"That's okay. We both have the day off." Kenna answered.

"Well your blood pressure looks good and your blood work looks awesome." The doctor pulled out her measuring tape and measured around Kenna's waist. "Looking good for sixteen weeks. How have you been feeling?"

"Good. The morning sickness stopped a few weeks ago."

"You haven't gained any weight since your ER visit in Hawaii. We need to work on that."

"I feel like I eat all the time."

"Gummy frogs and fortune cookies." Eliot mumbled. Dr. Barns laughed.

"I don't recommend either of those as a meal but as snacks go, they aren't the worst." She answered.

"Don't encourage her doc." Eliot said.

"I'm sitting right here." Kenna said. Dr. Barns adjusted the table.

"Lay back kiddo and we'll listen to your baby's heartbeat." Kenna laid back and Eliot came next to her. She became pale.

"What's wrong?" He whispered in her ear.

"Nothing." Kenna answered. He knew she was lying but the doctor spoke before he could ask her again.

"This is going to be cold." The doctor said as she squinted the conducting gel on Kenna's belly. "Relax Kenna."

"Sorry." Kenna smiled a small smile and held Eliot's hand tighter. Closing her eyes she tried taking deep breaths.

"Kenna, what's wrong?"

"I'm fine." Her grip tightened. The sound of a heartbeat echoed though the room.

"See baby, everything is fine." The grip didn't loosen. "Kenna." Eliot said sharply.

"I'm fine." She whispered. Eliot looked at the doctor. She shrugged her shoulders.

"Her pulse is elevated and I can tell you that her blood pressure might be too."

"Kenna, honey relax." Eliot whispered in her ear. "Tell me what's wrong?"

"I don't know." Tears flowed down her cheeks. "I don't know." She clung to him.

"I'm here honey. Talk to me." The doctor looked at Kenna.

"The baby's fine Kenna. The heart rate is good and everything looks great." Kenna nodded. "Why don't you get dressed and you can come to my office with any questions or concerns." The doctor didn't want to stress Kenna anymore. Wiping the gel off the doctor stood. She left and Kenna got up and grabbed her clothes.

"Kenna, what's wrong?" Eliot begged.

"Nothing. I just want to go home." She pulled on her jeans and slid on her boots. Taking her shirt she put it on and grabbed her jacket.

"We should stop at the office."

"You do what you want." She flung open the door and headed down the hall. Eliot went after her but to quickly she was in the waiting room. Taking a few steps back he went into the doctor's office.

"Is everything okay?" She asked.

"I don't really know. She was fine this morning. She talked about the appointment and going shopping for a friend's birthday gift."

"Has she ever acted like this before?"

"Not since she's been home."

"Home?" She questioned,

"Back with me. It's not something we talk about but she…was abducted about a month ago by some people from her past."

"I got the medical reports from Iceland. That was one of the things that I was going to talk to her about."

"Best not to ask too many questions doc," Eliot turned to leave. "I'll talk to her. Get her to come back if you think she should."

"She's healthy and everything looks and sounds good. I have no reason to see her till next month unless something comes up." Eliot nodded.

"Thanks. I'll have her call and make her next appointment." He left the office and wondered where Kenna might have gone. He didn't have to look far. She was leaning against the truck. "You scared the hell out of me." Eliot put his hands on her shoulders.

"I'm here." She didn't look at him.

"Are you going to talk to me?"

"I don't have anything to talk about. I just want to go home." He took a step back.

"Okay, I have to leave tomorrow." He opened the door and helped her into the truck. He went around to his side and got in. "Do you want to go grocery shopping before we go home? There isn't much in the fridge."

"I'll be fine."

"You need to eat Kenna."

"I can take care of myself. I've been doing most of my life." Eliot looked at her.

"What the hell is your problem today Kenna? You walked into the doctor's happier than you've been in days and you walk out shaking like a leave and mad as hell. What's going on?" She closed her eyes and leaned back against the head rest.

"I'll be okay just take me home." She whispered.

"You know you can tell me anything, right?" He started the truck.

"I know." Kenna replied. "I know Eliot." She laid her head on his leg and culled up on the seat. She was asleep before he pulled out of the parking lot. Eliot looked down at her at every stop light. Whatever was rocking her world out of whack had something to do with either the doctor or the baby and he needed to find out before she shut down all together.

/o/o/o/o/o/

Eliot sat in the parking lot of the bar running his hand over Kenna's hair. He wanted to wake her. Shake her and asked her what the hell happened back at the doctors. Over the past few months she'd had two ultra sounds so he didn't think it was the feel of the gel on her stomach.

"I love you Eliot." She whispered.

"Then tell me what happened?"

"I just felt so…alone. I knew you were there but something…made me feel like everything I had was gone." She sat up.

"I know the feeling honey," He pulled her into his arms. "I used to feel that way sometimes when I was on a job. I didn't know if I would ever get back to the states and see Jodi again." Kenna gripped his shirt than relaxed.

"I'll be fine." She pushed out of his arms and slid across the seat and out the door.

"Kenna…" Eliot tried to stop her but she moved too quickly. He hit the steering wheel with such force the whole truck shook. "Damn it." Eliot didn't know what the hell was going on but he needed to find out soon.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/

Eliot's bag was packed for the early flight to New York and Topher was sitting on top of it. Kenna sat at the counter with a glass of orange juice. She needed to talk to him but today was not the day. Her hands still shook and her head still felt like it was in a fog. A pizza appeared on the counter.

"The Celtic/Bull game is on in fifteen minutes." Eliot informed her as he grabbed a beer and another orange juice.

"Are you sure you want to watch it with me?" She watched him get the paper plates and put them on top of the pizza box along with some napkins.

"Why wouldn't I?" He leaned against the counter and took a long drag of his beer.

"I've been an emotional wreck today and I don't know why." She lied.

"You know I don't care if you break down I just want you to know you can tell me anything."

"I know." Kenna looked at him. "I promise sooner or later I will work this out."

"I hope so because I really liked the happy Kenna that showed up this morning." He said. Kenna smiled.

"She might come back in a year when all these hormones stop taking over her body." Kenna leaned forward and kissed him. "Don't give up on me Eliot." She whispered.

"I could never do that Kenna, you know that." He hoped when all her cards were on the table he would still feel that way. "The game is about to start." He grabbed the box off the counter and headed to the couch. Kenna followed and sat next to him as he got them each a slice of pizza and settled into for a quiet night.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o

A/N: Thanks to all who are still with me and keep the reviews coming. Thanks to CharleyMom for giving me the courage to go someplace I was thinking about not going, The next chapters for you:0) And as always for speedlesweetie for being in my head even when I don't want her to be lol.


	9. Chapter 9

Home Fires

Chapter Nine

(Six Days Later)

Eliot looked up at the brick building in front of him and contemplated his options. If he went in and questioned what had happened all those years ago Kenna might never talk to him ever again. If he didn't find out now he may never be able to help Kenna though whatever she was going though. Eliot opened the door and went inside. The same nurse that was at the desk the last time was there again.

"Hi. Lanie, right?" He said quietly. The woman looked up.

"Yeah, Eliot…Kenna Hawks boyfriend?"

"Ah, yeah." He answered and she smiled.

"Mrs. Bailey hasn't stopped talking about your last visit. She's so excited about you and Kenna expecting." Eliot smiled.

"How is the old girl?"

"Better since your visit. Is Kenna with you?"

"No, she's home in Boston. I was passing through and though I would stop by." He answered.

"She'll be thrilled." The nurse handed him a visitors badge and the clip board.

"Can I ask you something?" Eliot questioned.

"Sure." The woman smiled.

"How does a biology teacher from Kentucky end up in a high security nursing home in Connecticut?"

"About four years ago Mrs. Bailey moved to New York to be with her son and daughter in law. She had a stroke three years ago and her son admitted her to some crappy place in the city. When she got sick again they tried to call him and he had dropped off the face of the earth. She had given them Kenna's name and phone number in a moment of clarity. They called; she came and moved her here."

"Kenna's paying the bills?" The woman wasn't sure she should answer. Eliot looked at the nurse. "It's okay, I can asked Kenna."

"Her insurance pays most but Kenna picks up the rest." Eliot nodded and headed down the hall to find out why the woman he loved was falling apart. The woman was sitting up in a chair today. The door was open but Eliot tapped on it.

"Come in." She sounded strong.

"Hey Mrs. B." Eliot walked toward the chair.

"Eliot Spencer, my goodness…I don't see you in twenty years and now I see you twice in a month. How'd I get so lucky?" She smiled.

"You're a pretty lady. You deserve to get lucky." She laughed and he grinned as he sat across from her.

"How's Kenna?" Eliot's expression changed and his body tensed.

"She has her good days and she has her bad days." He looked into the old woman's green eyes. "I need to know about those bad days back after I left Mrs. B." She shook her head.

"This is something you should talk over with her Eliot."

"I have and she tells me the wine and roses version but she's leaving a lot out and if I'm going to make things right I need to know what happened back then."

"How much do you know?"

"That she drank got a little wild. But there was something more, I know there is."

"She will tell you in her own time Eliot." Eliot shook his head.

"I can't wait till she tells me Jewels." He resorted to Kenna's pet name for the old woman. "She's digging a hole again and I can't let her fall into that hole again. I lost her once and if it happens again I won't be able to live with myself."

"You may not be able to handle what happened those dark days."

"I got pretty big shoulders."

"The morning after you left Kenna told Jodi that she was going to go home for a few days but your sister being the stubborn soul that she is she made her stay in the tack room of your barn. Between what she could get from Billy's still and her mama's liquor cabinet she didn't sober up until about a month later. School was about to start but she still didn't keep away from the hard stuff." The old woman looked at Eliot. "I never saw a girl so torn up over a boy in all my life." Eliot put his elbows on his knees and ran his hands through his hair.

"I had to leave. He would of…"

"You don't have to explain to me boy, I've known Billy Callahan long enough to know what the man is capable of. Kenna told me what he did to you that night and if you would have killed him no one would have blamed you." Eliot stood.

"She cried for me that night."

"She cried for you for more nights than she'll ever admit to Eliot." Mrs. Bailey looked up at him and reached for his hand. "Sit." She whispered. He did but she didn't let go of his hand. "I found her in the girls bathroom about this time the year you left. Kenna had passed out, hit her head on the sink and well…she had some other issues."

"Other issues?" Eliot asked hoarsely.

"Eliot, Kenna was eight weeks pregnant. She lost the baby and a whole lot more." The world had stopped. Eliot couldn't breathe. The last night in Winchester had been the one night he held in his mind when things went south. That last night with her.

(Flashback)

August 1990

Kenna knew that the welts on Eliot's back would heal but she knew his heart would take a whole lot longer to repair. She wrapped his ribs as tight as she could and now all she could do was try and make him forget about the pain.

"I'm wish I could come with you." She sat behind him on a hay bale.

"No you don't. You have a life here Kenna Shane."

"You and Jodi are my life. I have nothing without the two of you." He turned and looked at her. How could he tell her to stay when all he wanted to do was take her with him and put Winchester, Kentucky out of their lives for good?

"When I figure out what I'm going to do I'll come back for you." She smiled.

"No you won't. Eliot you can never come back to Winchester." She ran her hand down his cheek. "We'll be okay. I'll keep Jodi safe till she can leave too." Kenna leaned over and kissed him. She hadn't done that in a very long time. Letting her lips touch his Eliot knew that this was going to be the hardest good bye he would ever face.

"I will come be back Kenna." He whispered against her lips. She didn't say anything after that and in the morning she was gone. But the hours in between were the sweetest he'd ever known.

(Present)

"Are you okay Eliot?" Mrs. Bailey asked.

"Yeah, I was just…remembering."

"She doesn't blame you for leaving, you know that don't you?" She squeezed his hand.

"But she doesn't know that she helped me though some tough times either. I think I made her believe that I didn't think about her all those years. Even after all we've been though the last few months I still haven't let her know that if it wasn't for that night and all the other good times we spent together I would have never made it through."

"Then tell her. Go home and tell her what happened to you after leaving. It broke her heart when she found out about the baby and loosing it all at the same time."

"That'll be kind of hard. She's pulling away." Eliot said.

"Do what you have to do to make her okay." The woman looked Eliot in the eye. "Go home and make it right Eliot." He nodded.

"Thank you for talking to me." Leaning over he kissed the woman on the cheek. "We'll come down and see you soon Jewels."

"You better." Eliot smiled. He left the nursing home with some things that may or may not help him make things with Kenna okay.

0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/

Nate watched Eliot get out of the cab. He hadn't come home with them and Nate had been a little worried. The hitter came into the bar and said hello and walked to the elevator. Something was brewing and Nate knew now wasn't the time to take on new clients. He closed the file in front of him and motioned to Mike to fill his coffee cup and headed to the back room. It was only October but he knew it was going to be a cold winter for Eliot and Kenna if they didn't work it all out now.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/

Eliot walked into the apartment and it was quiet and oddly spotless. Not that it was ever messy but it smelled almost hospital sterile. The remote for the kitchen television was set next to the fruit bowl. Kenna's spare cell was in the charger. Now Eliot knew how important that phone was. It was her connection to Mrs. Bailey. Her other phone sat on the charging pad along with her iPod. The keys to his truck and hers hung on the hook by the door. He carried his bag into the bedroom and found her. She was asleep, curled in a ball in the middle of the bed. She must have recently showered because her hair was still damp and curled around her face. He touched her face and noticed it was tear streaked and tears still hung on her long lashes.

"What the hell have I done?" He whispered. Standing he stripped off his jacket and hung it on the coat rack that stood in the corner. Eliot needed to think. Heading back into the kitchen he checked the fridge. Raising his eyebrows he glanced back toward the bedroom. Kenna defiantly had some time on her hands. The refrigerator was chalk full of fruit, vegetables, meat, fish and…orange soda. Shaking his head he was afraid to look in the cupboards knowing he would be bombarded by gummy frogs and fortune cookies. He grabbed some makings for chicken salad and started chopping.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/

Kenna woke up and it was dark. She had been so tired after grocery shopping that she just took a shower and laid down for a little while. A little while had turned into nearly three hours. Hearing movement in the living room she sat up. Grabbing Eliot's flannel shirt that she kept on the chair next to the bed she put it on and went to the door, nearly tripping over the black duffel bag next to the door. Eliot was home. She poked her head from behind the door. He was singing to along to something on the radio that was softly playing in the kitchen. The baby started doing summersaults inside her.

"He's got that affect on you already." She whispered as she put her hand on her abdomen. "Welcome to the club sweetheart." Kenna wrapped the shirt around her and pushed the hair out of her face, took a deep breath and went to face the music one last time.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o

He knew she had been watching him for a few minutes because he could smell her shampoo. It smelled like green tea and watermelon. He teased her because he could smell her coming a mile away but she didn't stop using it.

"Morning darling'." He said and looked up from his mixing bowl. His breath caught and all the air was sucked out of his longs. Her hair was tasseled from sleep and the shirt, his shirt, wrapped around the curves of her body and ended above her knees. It had been six days since he'd seen her and in that time she had gotten more beautiful and sexier than she had ever been.

"Hi." She said shyly.

"Dinner's almost ready." He grabbed an orange soda out of the fridge and set in on the counter. She didn't move from her spot leaning on the pillar in between the kitchen and the living room. "I thought you learned years ago that I don't bite." He said a little roughly.

"I thought you learned years ago I don't mind getting bitten now and then." She returned in a less than lady like way. Eliot dropped his knife and was around the counter before Kenna could take another breath. Pushing her had against the pillar he kissed her deeply.

"You really need to watch that sassy mouth of yours Kenna Shane." He said in her ear. She shook her head and wrapped her legs around his waist.

"How can I talk dirty to you if I have to watch what I say?" She nibbled on his ear ask he yanked off his shirt reveling just a sports bra and panties.

"Ahhhh darlin' you are definitely going to be the death of me." He carried her to the couch and fell back letting her fall on top of him. "Did you miss me?"

"You think?" She leaned over and kissed him with all the pent up frustration of the last week. He reached to pull off her bra and she nearly went through the roof. He smiled.

"That's new." Kenna looked him with smoky desire.

"You've been gone a long time cowboy." He wanted to tell her that he was back for good and nothing was going to tear him away from her again but Kenna had other ideas. "And if you tell me to slow down so help me God I will throttle you." He grabbed her and pulled her down for a kiss and didn't slow down till he was finished showing her how much he missed her.


	10. Chapter 10

Home Fires

Chapter Ten

Eliot pulled Kenna closer to him and put his hand on her abdomen. He felt the fluttering and turnings of his child inside her. Burying his face in her hair Eliot knew that before either one of them left this bed, they had to talk about what was going on with her.

"Talk to me darlin'." He whispered in her ear.

"I lost everything the day you left Kentucky." She answered softly.

"No, you just thought you did. I'm still here Kenna. I know I took the long way home, but I'm here now. Here forever." Kenna fought the urge to pull away and make him see that he would leave again. Maybe not to day or next week but he would leave her. After she told him her secret it wouldn't be long before he was gone again.

"The night you left Winchester was the worst and the best night of my life. After the…the night you…"

"Took your virginity…Kenna Shane, you've never been ashamed of that night." He said.

"I know but we…it was an unspoken rule that we would never bring it up let alone make love again. I didn't plan on the night you left. I just wanted to have one last moment that was ours alone. That night was supposed to make you want to come home. It was suppose to make you want to take me with you." Eliot felt her start to shake. He pulled her body tightly to his.

"I did want to come home Kenna. I just got wrapped up in something I couldn't get out of." He knew he couldn't tell her about the dark cell and the beatings he had endured over those six months he was imprisoned in a country he had no business being in doing things he should have never been doing for a country that thrown him to the wolves a half a dozen years later.

"I spent the next two months wasted out of mind. I drank. But you already knew that. The haze I was in didn't really affect anyone but me. Jodi was struggling with her own grief and I really didn't know if Billy was hurting her or not." Eliot ran his hand down her arm.

"Kenna…"

"No Eliot. I need to tell you this. I just wanted to forget all those feeling I had. I had promised you I would take care of Jodi. I broke that promise."

"You were fifteen."

"I've been in love with since I was seven." She whispered. He moved his hand from her stomach to her breasts. She closed her eyes and her breath caught. They had been so damn sensitive lately and even before her pregnancy he could turn her on with just a touch now all he had to do was look at her and she was gone.

"I guess someone knew what they were doing when he sent you home with my sister that day." He said in ear. Kenna swallowed hard. She clung to his arm and tried to hold back the tears. "Let it go baby."

"I got pregnant that night." He kissed her cheek. The warmth of his body against hers made her relax. "I lost the baby two months later. I didn't even know I was pregnant."

"Is that what upset you?"

"The same week we heard this baby's heart beat was the week I lost…" The tears fell. "I lost the one thing that would have brought you back to me." The sobs racked her body.

"Baby I tried to come back and I did when you needed me."

"But you couldn't stay. I knew that when you came to help after Simon. I wanted to tell you then about the baby but I figured it was too late." Eliot closed his eyes and thought about what she had said. He couldn't have stayed. He owed too much to too many people by then and Kenna was the least of his worries. She had disappeared off the face of the earth not to long after.

"Why didn't you tell me this when you came to ask for my help with Jimmy?"

"Because twenty years is a long time for regrets. You couldn't have stayed and I couldn't have raised a child back then." She rolled herself over and looked into his blue eyes. They were red and a tear fell down his cheek. Kenna ran her hand down the stubble she had grown to love more than the clean shaven boy she fell in love with all those years ago. "I know what happened to that child was my fault and I really don't know what I would have done if things had…been different but last week it all came flooding back and I didn't know how to tell you and I didn't know how to deal with the memories."

"I love you." He pushed her hair away from her face. "Nothin' that happened twenty years ago is gonna change that. Nothin' that happens in the next twenty is gonna change that either Kenna." He hugged her close. "I'm sorry you had to go through all that alone and I'm sorry you thought you couldn't tell me now when it was upsetting you so much. You were hurting Kenna. Loosing that baby wasn't your fault. Things have a way of happening for a reason."

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. And I wasn't alone. I had Mrs. Bailey. She kept the doctor from telling my mom so I didn't have to go back there after it happened. She paid the bill and got me a job as a tutor."

"Is that why you pay for whatever her insurance doesn't cover?" She looked at him. "I saw you drop off the check before we left the nursing home."

"Yeah, I guess that's why. She didn't have to protect me from my mother or yours. She could have told them both why I was acting the way I was but she kept it to herself." Kenna closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Would you think I was weak if I told you I can't take any more of these week long jobs?" He looked at her. "I have too much time to think." He kissed the top of her head and pulled her close.

"I can't make any promises."

"Will you wake me up tomorrow to go with you to the farmer's market?"

"I thought you hated all the people."

"I just want to be with you." She whispered. "Does that sound too needy?"

"No, it sounds like a woman who's been missing the love of her man." He rolled on top of her and looked her in the eye. "Dinner or dessert?" He asked her.

"Do you have to ask?" She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him in for a kiss.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o

The sun was out and there was a chill in the air. It was only two weeks to Halloween and the farmer's market was loaded with fall treats and holiday decorations. Eliot almost felt normal again. Walking with Kenna, talking with the venders. If anyone looked at them they would seem almost normal.

"You're thinking it too." Kenna curled her arms around his left one and leaned her head on his shoulder. He looked at her.

"Like you're not waiting for the other shoe to drop?" Eliot answered. He knew she was. But today she was hoping it would drop on the other side of the world because they were liking this little bit of normal.

"Okay, you call it." She stood straight. He looked at her slowly moving his gum around his mouth as he looked over her shoulder.

"Blond guy, ten o'clock." Eliot looked at the man. Kenna turned slightly.

"Ex-Navy. Just retired. Still carries his service weapon under his jacket." He smiled and shook his head. She was good at this game. She always had been.

"Red head, three o'clock." Kenna named his target. Eliot didn't even need to turn.

"Stripper…too old to be one, but one none the less." Kenna smiled. Eliot was looking over Kenna's shoulder again when he saw her. His expression changed. "Pick pocket, twelve o'clock." He whispered so only she could here. Kenna turned. A blond girl no more than ten or eleven was dancing through the crowd. Kenna saw what Eliot did a second later when she lifted a man's wallet and put it her messenger bag hanging from her shoulder.

"Cop, six o'clock." She returned. Kenna ducked through the next wave of people and Eliot walked head long into the uniformed officer.

"Hey man, glad to see you. I saw some guy picking another dudes pocket." Eliot pointed the opposite direction of where the girl and Kenna headed.

"What did he look like?"

"Man, I don't know brown hair, brown jacket." Eliot just turned and got lost in the crowd before the man could ask any more questions. He found Kenna sitting next to the blond girl on one of the park benches.

"Meet my new friend, Sarah." Kenna crossed her legs and looked up at him.

"Hi, Sarah." The girl didn't look at Eliot. "Sarah doesn't say much." Eliot interjected.

"Sarah tried stealing the Ex-Seal's Glock."

"How'd that go over?" Eliot sat on the other side of the girl and looked into her bag.

"Not the way she planned, I'm sure." Kenna returned.

"Just let me go. I promise I won't steal anymore shi…stuff."

"Looks like we got us a hard ass Kenna Shane." Eliot said in his best southern boy accent.

"Yeppers." Kenna nodded. "I'm starving, why don't we head the pier and your new friend Eliot will find a safe place for all these wallets and iPods oh my." Eliot stripped the bag off the girls arm and Kenna stood and lead the waif of the girl toward the little seafood shack on the pier. "How old are you?"

"What do you care? I could yell right now that you're a kidnapper and they'd shoot you where you stand." Kenna pulled out her BFD badge.

"I'm a first responder. You called for help and I'm helping." She said just a little too sweetly.

"I could say your boyfriend was kidnappin' me and you were going to make me your kiddy porn star." Eliot came up behind her, now void of the messenger bag.

"Not a really good idea either sunshine." They stopped at the restaurant and got a table outside. The girl wasn't scared and she wasn't running. There was something deeper going on here than a pick pocket getting caught. He looked at Kenna and she knew too.

"Call Parker." Kenna said as she handed her a menu. Eliot walked away from the table and made his phone call.

"I know you're up to something so you might as well spill it."

"What do you know about me?"

"I know that your parents aren't in the picture. That your stealing for survival and not for kicks and I know that you have twenty seven cents in your pocket and fifty cents in your shoe." The girl's eyes widened.

"How do you know all that?" She was amazed.

"Don't tell Eliot, but I was a thief once myself." The girl looked doubtful. "I wasn't really good at it but I tried. I know you keep the money in your shoe because you might need to call someone to get you out a jam. The twenty seven cent thing is just for luck. It's the number of times you picked without getting caught. Now you have to…"Kenna looked at the girl. "add to the pocket."

"How did you know how much was in my pocket?"

"She heard the change rattling. Each coin makes a distinct sound." Eliot said as he came back to the table. "Parker and Nate are on their way." He looked at the girl. "You hungry?" He knew she was. The smells alone were making the young girl drool.

"No."

"Too bad, you're eating something." Eliot sat down. Why wasn't the girl running? That was the question. Maybe this was the game. Get them to be nice to you, maybe take you home and then call in the big guns to clear you out. The waitress came to the table.

"What looks good to you Sarah?" Kenna asked, playing the good cop to the bitter end.

"Whatever." The girl sat back.

"Three specials." Eliot said without pretence. "Two cokes and…" He looked across the table at Kenna. "and an orange soda." Shaking his head he leaned against the edge of the raised chair. "You live around her Sarah?" The girl shrugged. "You know I could just hand you over to Barney Fife over there and be done with you." Eliot pointed at the rent a cop standing by a display of pumpkins.

"I live with some friends off of Pleasant Street." Eliot looked at the girl.

"If you're in trouble Sarah, we can help. Don't be afraid. You don't need to lie." He told her in a soft voice. The waitress brought their drinks and the girl stopped talking. Eliot looked at Kenna.

"Thank you." She said softly. He nodded. "Sarah please tell us what's going on." The waitress brought them their food and the girl went to work on her fish and chips.

"Slow down kid, you're gonna make yourself sick." Eliot told her. He looked at Kenna. He moved his phone and took a picture of the girl and sent it to Hardison. Eliot popped a fry in his mouth and watched the little girl. She was a cross between the girl Kenna was and the woman Parker had become. Eliot shook his head. God help them all.

"When was the last time you ate Sarah?" Kenna asked.

"Yesterday. I got a hot dog from the vendor on Wilcox with some money I lifted out of one of the wallets."

"Who have you been stealing for Sarah?" Eliot leaned over and looked at the little girl. He wanted to take her as far away from this madness as he could get her.

"The foster parents they placed with me." Sarah looked at the two adults sitting across from her. "Who are you people and why do you care what happens to me?"

"Their two of the best people you'll ever meet and because they like to rescue strays." Parker came up behind them. "Hi Sarah, my name is Parker and I want to help too." The thief smiled. Eliot turned to Nate who was standing a few feet away.

"Hey boss." Eliot walked to the man and Parker took his seat.

"What are we looking at?"

"Some foster family's training pick pockets and thieves barely out of diapers." Maybe Kenna and Parker can get some more details." Eliot turned to see Kenna motion to her ear. He turned his ear bud on.

"_We got company." She said. Eliot turned to the pier and saw the man reading an upside down newspaper._

"We need to take her with us Nate."

"DCF needs to take her Eliot."

"DCF put her with these people." Eliot looked at the two women talking to the girl. "You really thing those two are going to let that kid out of their sights?"

"We need to call someone." Nate looked at his hitter and back to the girls.

"Till we figure it out where is the safest place for her?" Eliot knew the answer.

"Our building." Nate answered. "She's your responsibility Eliot."

"Nate, she's a kid, not a puppy."

"I'm just saying." Nate looked over at the newspaper man. "Take care of him before we leave."

"We'll figure this out."

"You do know that we can't save them all Eliot?" Eliot looked at Kenna.

"I know, but I gotta try." He nodded and went to take care of the trouble that was reading upside down news.


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: I don't own anything but Kenna and Baby F…..almost let that one slip. Okay little warning…some T rated stuff at the end so if you don't want to read it I understand. And if you skip to the end I will know about it. LOL. As always thanks for reading.

Home Fires

Chapter Eleven

Eliot unlocked the apartment door and went in. Kenna was in the kitchen putting something in the oven. He stood for a few seconds and enjoyed the view.

"Like what you see Spencer?" Kenna stood and looked at him.

"You better believe it darlin'." He looked around. "Where's the kid?" Kenna threw him ice pack and he put it on his right elbow.

"Hardison's. They're playing some video game." Kenna walked around the counter and kissed him. "Did you take care of our newspaper man?"

"Yeah, I dropped some of Sarah's stolen wallets on him before the cops found him." Eliot sat on the bar stool and watched Kenna get dinner ready.

"Who is he?" She asked.

"Sarah said she never saw him before today." Eliot took a deep breath.

"So maybe he wasn't watching her." Kenna injected.

"Oh it was her he was after. The minute you guys split he followed her and Nate. Nate's the last one of us someone would go after." Kenna handed him a beer and leaned on the counter.

"If he wasn't her foster dad, who was he?" Eliot shook his head and took a long drag of his beer.

"Who knows? Hardison find her in the system?" Kenna handed him a file.

"This kid has had it rough. Thirteen foster homes in eight years. She just turned twelve." Kenna stood up. "I know kids around the world have it way rougher but this really sucks when there are people who want to have kids and can't have them but yet there's thousands in the system like Sarah." Eliot knew that Kenna would fight for this kid whether Nate helped her or not.

"How are you doing?" He asked. They hadn't really talked much about everything that happened last night.

"Good. I'm glad everything is out in the open and we've talked it through." Kenna moved around the counter and went and hugged him. She laid her head on his shoulder and settled in between his legs. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner."

"Neither one of us was ready sweetheart. If you would have told me six months ago I don't think we would have made it this far to be honest. We need the time to find out about each other again." He held her close and felt the baby kick against him. "She's a little feisty tonight."

"She gets that way when she hears your voice. You should have felt her last night when you were singing."

"She likes her old man's voice. That's a good thing. "Eliot bent down and talked to Kenna's belly. "Get used to it kid, I don't plan on going anywhere." Kenna ran her hand over his hair. She could get really used to this. A knock at the door broke the moment. Kenna closed her eyes and prayed it wouldn't be the last one like it.

"I'll get." Kenna pushed away from Eliot but he pulled her back for one more kiss.

"I love you." He said as she walked away.

"I love you too." She went to the door. Checked the peep hole and opened it up. "Look we have dinner guests." Hardison, Parker and Sarah stood at the door. "Come on in." Kenna opened the door and let the three of them in. "And let the games begin."

0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0

Dinner was quite the affair. Hardison and Sarah fought over who was better at Mario Cart. They all knew Parker pretty much dominated the game but it was fun watching the two fight it out. They talked little about how or why Sarah had come to be with them. When dinner was over Eliot got up,

"Come on kid, you and I are on clean up." He looked at Sarah. She pushed her chair back and started grabbing plates. She followed Eliot into the kitchen. He motioned to the counter. "You can put them there." He pointed to the counter. She put them down and went back to the table for more. Kenna and the other's had gone to fix up the other bedroom for their guest.

"Is Kenna your wife?" The girl asked as she brought the last of the dishes.

"Ahhh, no. We're not married."

"How come? She's having your baby." The girl looked at him.

"How old are you again?" He asked as she handed him dishes.

"Twelve. What does that matter?"

"Come see me in ten years and I might explain my life choices to you." They kept working. "You are going to stay put tonight, right?" Eliot took a plate from her and looked her in the eye.

"I have no place else to go. I'm sure my foster monsters aren't looking for me. You all have been real nice to me." Eliot saw no fear or no tell she was lying.

"Kenna lives for fighting for the underdog and right now with all she's been through she doesn't need some kid breaking her heart by stealing her shit and taking off." The girl looked at him.

"I like her. You never answered me about why you aren't married."

"We just got used to the baby thing." Eliot put the last of the dishes in the dishwasher.

"My parents weren't married." She said softy. "But I know they loved each other. I remember they held hands all the time and they smiled a lot." Eliot leaned against the counter.

"You remember them?"

"I was four when they died. I just have hazy images. They left me with a sitter one night to celebrate…my mom was pregnant again. They died on the way home. A drunk driver."

"I'm sorry Sarah."

"Everyone is." She said boosting herself on the counter. "Got anything for desert." The girl asked.

"Get your ass off my counter and I'll check." He smiled as the girl bounded off. He went into the freezer and pulled out a gallon of chocolate chip ice cream.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/

Eliot set the security alarm and locked the three locks on the door. Kenna was getting more paranoid than he was. Parker had parked herself on the couch and said that she would stay and keep an eye on the kid so she wouldn't bolt.

"Night Parker." Eliot threw her a blanket.

"Night Eliot. It's been a long time since we had a sleep over."

"Not long enough." Eliot grumbled under his breath as he turned off the light and did one last check of their house guest. She was curled up with Topher sleeping against her stomach. "You loved the lost souls, don'tcha boy." Eliot left the door open a crack and headed to his own room. Kenna was lying in bed reading a book.

"Hey cowboy. Everyone tucked in?" She pulled back the covers on his side of the bed as he slipped off his jeans and threw them in the hamper along with his sweatshirt.

"Your cat found a new place to sleep." He crawled into bed.

"He always loves new attention." Eliot smiled a half smile. "What's wrong?" Kenna looked at him.

"Who said anything was wrong?" He took the book out of her hands, reached over and set it on her bed side table, binding side up and turned off her light. Pulling her into his arms he tucked her under his chin and held her close.

"You're acting…weird?"

"Define me acting weird?" Kenna ran her hand down his chest and he grabbed it and held it against him.

"You seem a little tense." Her leg draped over his.

"Go to bed Kenna." He closed his eyes.

"Eliot…what's wrong?" She smiled and ran her foot down his leg.

"Stop." He growled.

"Really, Eliot, what's going on?"

"There's a kid in our spare bedroom and a thief on our couch…do I have to say more?" He answered.

"Eliot Spencer, you are a prude. In five months there's going to be a kid in our spare bedroom every night and if Parker has her way she will be living on our couch." He looked at her.

"Hell no. Parker has a home, in fact she has three. And, well a baby isn't…twelve and impressionable." Kenna smiled.

"That twelve year old probably knows more about sex than we did when we…had sex the first time." Eliot closed her eyes and shook his head.

"Give me this one thing Kenna." Eliot asked. "Please." Kenna looked at him.

"Hey I'm all for snuggling." She wiggled next to him.

"KENNA!" He spat out. Laughing, Kenna lifted her head and kissed his stubble cheek.

"I love you cowboy." She settled her head back on his shoulder.

"For some ungodly reason Kenna Shane, I love you too." He whispered. They both knew he wouldn't sleep but this nightly ritual of actually going to bed together seemed to do them both good. As soon as Kenna's breathing evened Eliot usually slipped out to work out or plan out whatever he had to for the next job. But tonight he would stay with her curled up beside him for much longer than usual. He needed her warmth and the feel of her body next to his more and more lately. Maybe it was time to talk to Nate about keeping the jobs closer to home or at least asking Kenna again to go with them. Absently he ran his hand up and down her arm. She curled into him more and he felt her warm breath on his neck. He could get real used to this.

"Eliot." Parker's whisper broke the silence.

"Yeah Parker, what is it?" He whispered back.

"The silent alarm in the bar just went off."

"I'm on it." He crawled out from under the warmth of Kenna and the down comforter and grabbed his jeans and put them on. "You stay here with Kenna and Sarah." Eliot said. He stopped at the kitchen counter and pulled out a K-Bar he kept under it. Parker had pulled up the surveillance cameras on his big screen. "I count four." He whispered.

"That's all I saw too." She pushed the camera in on the back door. "The elevator is locked down and stairwells locked when the alarm went off. There's no way they can get up here." Parker whispered.

"The doors between the poker room and the bar were locked when Mike closed."

"There's nowhere for them to go." Parker looked at Eliot. "Maybe we should just call the police." Eliot shook his head.

"Really Parker and tell them what? We picked up a twelve year old pick pocket and now her band of not so merry men is trying to get her back." Eliot hissed through clenched teeth.

"It was just a thought."

"This much trouble for an orphan who steals is just not right." Eliot turned on his com. "Nate?"

"_Yeah, Eliot I'm here. These guys are starting to piss me off."_

"You and me both. I'm heading downstairs. They can't get much farther than the poker room."

"_Make sure Parker resets your alarm. I don't want these guys up there but there's a chance they might."_

"Really Nate?" Eliot questions.

"_No, I know you have those four covered. I'm just hoping they aren't a distraction for a different extraction." Eliot hadn't thought about that._

"Maybe I should wake Kenna?"

"_No, no sense in worrying the pregnant woman prematurely."_

"Good thinking." Eliot punched the code and disarmed the alarm. "Set it the minute I close the door." He told Parker.

"Got it." Eliot pulled open the door and went out into the hall. Parker shut the door behind him and he heard her entering the alarm code. He slowly made his way down the hall. He got to the stair well and entered the code to open the door.

"Are they still in the Poker room?" Eliot asked Parker.

"_Yeah, four of them…one's trying to pick the lock on the door to the bar."_

"If he figures it out let me know." Eliot headed down the steps. He went swiftly at first and he cursed himself for not throwing on his running shoes that sat next to the door.

"_They're armatures Eliot…not one of them looks over…Eliot its Sarah's crew." _

"What…Sarah is twelve Parker."

"_No, Eliot, she's right. Sarah said she wasn't the only kid her foster parents were sending out to steal. We all were watching for big bad guys following us. Not small ones."_

"You mean there's four tweens breaking into the bar?" Eliot didn't know if he should laugh or punch a hole in the wall. "I can't beat the crap out of a bunch of kids."

"_Maybe you don't have to. Hardison, your have control over the bar sound system, don't you?" Nate asked._

"_Yeah, television too…after I had to gank the wiring for that one con, I rigged the whole thing so I could have control from your place."_

"_Then get the hell down here." Nate growled. _Eliot shook his head. This was messed up.

"Parker, wake up Kenna." He said.

"_I'm here Eliot." Closing his eyes he let her voice sooth him._

"I just need you in my head." He whispered.

"_I'm where ever you need me to me." He looked through the widow of the stairwell and saw_ _what no one else could. Four children, no more than sixteen, the youngest was maybe nine or_ _ten._

"What's the plan Nate?" Eliot ground out.

"_Hardison is going to scare them by using the PA system to make them think the cops are here. Hopefully they run out the back door and never look back."_

"You know they'll be back for her Nate." Eliot hissed.

"_We'll let's get them taken care of for tonight and worry about them coming back tomorrow."_

"You're the boss." Eliot said. Hardison's voice came over the loud speaker.

"This is the Boston Police Department. Please exit the building and walk slowly to the nearest officer." Sirens echoed through the bar. "You have exactly five seconds to show yourself. Five…four….three…" The kids high tailed it out of the room and out though the back door and never looked back.

"One crisis solved." Eliot burst though the stairwell door and went and bolted up the back door once more. He added the cross bar and put a steel cabinet in front of it for good measure. "Hardison make sure the damn window alarms are on full tilt down here. I would rather scare the little bastards than have to come kick their ass's next time." Eliot headed back upstairs. Kenna was waiting for him at the door.

"_I'm on it man. Go get some sleep. It's been a hell of a night." Hardison said before he turned_ _off his com._

"Sarah wake up?"

"No, neither did Topher." He took her in his arms and hugged her close. He threw his ear bud on the counter and took Kenna's out too. He lifted her off the ground and carried her back toward their bed room.

"Good night Parker." Eliot said just before he slammed the door. Parker smiled.

"Night." She turned off the light and went back to sleep.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/

In the bedroom Eliot laid Kenna down and crawled into bed with her for the second time tonight. This time he didn't tuck her safely under his arm. He pulled her t-shirt off in one motion all the while kissing her sweet lips. No words needed to be spoken because she knew what she needed. He went downstairs expecting to have to defend his home and his family. The adrenalin had been pumping and with no release to be had at the hands of a few teenagers Eliot had to do what he had to do to bring himself down. He tore away her panties not caring what the thin material might have meant to her. She undid the button of his jeans and slid them down along with his boxer briefs and took all of him inside her with a satisfying moan from both of them.

Eliot slowed down then. Only moving slightly to make sure his weight wasn't too much for her. Her hands caressed his shoulders and his back as he bombarded her lips with hot, wet, deep kisses. He knew that she was close so he stopped.

"Open your eyes." He whispered hoarsely. She did as he asked and the desire swam in the depths of her brown eyes. "Don't close them." He ordered as he kept moving inside her. Kenna looked into the depths of his blue eyes. Another woman might have been scared of what she saw. The raw desire, the emotion of a man who had fought hard and gave everything he had to the fight. Now he was fighting another demon far worse than any he had ever faced.

Himself. She had seen him fresh from the job when his emotions were raw but tonight he had been protecting something more precious than he ever had before. His child. Kenna saw when the flood gates opened because his eyes went dark his hands that were on either of her twisted the sheet beneath them. He leaned over and kissed her with all the pent up emotion and adrenalin that was flowing through him. When he collapsed pulling her with him so she stayed connected to him she felt the dampness on his cheeks. Eliot Spencer, hero, hard ass, hitter was about to add another title after his name…father. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. For some reason it took a threat against them for him to finally realize it was real. Kenna was real and back in his life…forever. Pulling the covers over them he fell into a long awaited, dreamless, six hour slumber.


	12. Chapter 12

Home Fires

Chapter Twelve

Eliot woke with a start. He looked around, a little confused. He felt the fluttering against his back and felt warm arms wrapped around him. Kenna. Last night he had come back with the adrenalin high and she had brought him down. He hadn't scared her away.

"It's too quiet out there." She whispered against his ear.

"Parker's probably feeding the kid Fruity Pebbles." Eliot groaned.

"How are you feeling?" She kissed the back of his neck. He turned and took her in his arms.

"Like I haven't slept that good in a really long time." He kissed her. Eliot couldn't remember a time he felt more relaxed. He knew it wouldn't last but for once he wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth.

"I'm glad." She kissed him one last time and got out of bed. Eliot watched her walk to the bathroom and grinned. Kenna turned around. "You welcome to join me." He chuckled and untangled himself from the covers and followed her to the shower.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o

"Okay, we know that there are at least four other kids living in this foster home and that the guy that Eliot took out yesterday is a PI with a less then sparkling reputation." Nate stood in front of the desk. "Sarah's foster parents have been with DFS for only three years. They haven't had a single complaint."

"That's because the kids are so scared of them." Eliot looked over at the girl sitting at the bar playing cards with Kenna. "We need to get Sarah and those other kids out of there Nate."

"I know. I have Hardison working on it. Do you think Sarah can get those kids to meet her? If we have something more to go on than the word of one child we could get Bonanno in on this."

"I think I can talk her into it." Parker said. "If I tell her they came for her last night maybe she'll want them safe too?"

"Nate are we really equipped to go after a government agency like DFS?" Sophie interjected.

"I think if Sarah wants our help, we should give it to her." Nate turned and looked at his team. "If any of you think we shouldn't help these kids now is the time to speak up." No one said anything. Parker walked over to where Kenna and Sarah were sitting. She sat on the stool next to the young girl.

"Your friends came by to spring you last night." Parker told the girl.

"You didn't get them busted did you?" Sarah started to panic.

"No. Sarah we can help you and your friends if you let us. Kenna knows people and we can stop the Michelson's from messing up any more kids."

"Do you really think you can keep us safe?" The girl looked at the two women. Kenna took Sarah's hand.

"See those three men over there?" She turned the girls chair around and whispered in her ear. She nodded. "They will never let anyone hurt you again." Eliot, Nate, and Hardison sat talking at the round table in the middle of the back room. Eliot looked up at Kenna. He smiled a small smile. "They're the good guys Sarah. They saved me and they will help you." The girl nodded.

"Tiffany and the others won't buy it. They're in too deep." Sarah looked at Parker. "They didn't come to save me last night." She whispered. "They came to take me back."

"You really think they would do that?"

"The Michelson's pretty much have them under their control. So they know I'm here now." The girl looked frightened.

"Eliot won't let them take you Sarah." Parker told the young girl. Kenna stiffened.

"Parker, bring Sarah to the apartment." The thief didn't ask why because the look on Kenna's face told her to go and not look back. Grabbing the girls hand Parker headed up the back stairs. Eliot saw the movement from the corner of his eye and was out of his chair and at Kenna's side a split second later. "Boston's Finest." Kenna said as two men walked in the front door.

"Go upstairs with Parker." Eliot told her.

"Eliot I can handle this."

"Kenna these guys are armed and we don't know which side they play for."

"Kenna, Eliot." Kenna looked up.

"Detective Jenkins." Kenna smiled. "Long time no see." She touched his arm. He looked at her and smiled.

"Seems you've been busy." He said noticing her baby bump.

"I guess getting shot does that to a person." Eliot was eyeing the older man's partner. He had one hand on Kenna's hip and the other balled up into a fist ready if either of them made wrong move.

"I need your help."

"What can I do for you?"

"A friend is looking into some grifters that moved into the area. They've been hitting the Farmer's Market on Wednesdays and Saturdays."

"What can we do to help?"

"Kenna, I know you have her." Jenkins looked at the two people in front of him. "I don't want trouble. I just want to know why I got a call from my captain saying one of them was here hiding."

"I trust you, what about him." Kenna looked at the man next to Jenkins.

"Not my favorite person but he's okay." The man looked at Jenkins and shook his head.

"What my partner is trying to say is we want to help." Kenna was as good at reading people and she didn't like what his attitude was saying. Eliot felt her hand on his.

"She's gone." Kenna said. "She tried lifting Eliot's wallet yesterday at the Farmer's Market and he caught her. We talked to her and she gave us a sob story about her foster parents. We were going to look into it but she bolted."

"Is that how it went down Spencer?" The man looked at Eliot.

"Kenna doesn't need me to back her up." He ground out. "But yeah, that's how it went down." The man turned and walked away. Jenkins looked at the two people in front of him.

"Go to the State Police. The departments a mess and I don't see an end in sight." Jenkins turned around and left.

"How long do you think it will take Robocop to figure out what the hell's going on?" Kenna looked at Eliot.

"He already knows." He turned to her. "Get packed. I'm taking you and the kid to the farm till we get this figured out."

"Eliot, we have been to the farm since we brought Grace home to Jodi and Charlie."

"We'll stop along the way and pick up some things for Sarah and some groceries." He looked out at the car parked across the street. "We have to be creative. The building is being watched."

"Well this bunch is that and a whole lot more." Eliot looked at her.

"We've been up against tougher but we've never had to work around…"

"Just get us to the farm and I'll take care of the three of us, you take care of the Michelson's." She kissed him. "We'll be okay Eliot." Eliot wasn't too sure. "We all leave, Hardison scrambles the camera and they don't know who to follow. I know the drill."

"I just…" After last night he wasn't sure he wanted her out of his sights just yet. Kenna put her arms around him and laid her head on his shoulder.

"I know Eliot." She took a deep breath. "Trust us." He closed his eyes and inhaled her sweet scent.

"I trust you with my life Kenna Shane…I just don't know if I can trust myself if you're not with me right now." Kenna gripped his shirt hugged him closer.

"Then let's move this thing to the farm. We can better protect the whole team up there." She looked at him. I have an idea." She kissed him and pulled out her phone. "Trust me." He took her face in his hands and kissed her.

"I do." He went back in the poker room and let Kenna make her call.

O/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/

"We all scatter." Kenna looked at the five adults and one little girl. "We meet up at the hospital. At five o'clock the air ambulance will be on the roof too take us to the farm."

"What if he gets a call?"

"Then we're screwed." Nate said.

"Pretty much." Kenna looked at Eliot.

"We don't need to go Kenna." Sophie said.

"No, it was just an idea." Kenna looked at Sarah. "If you all would just give us a head start, I can lose them in traffic. Come on Sarah. I need to go pack." The girl got up and followed. They were to the elevator when Eliot exploded.

"What the hell is your problem Sophie?"

"I am not running around in circles all day just to appease your girlfriend."

"Sophie, be quiet." Nate snapped. Eliot looked at the two of the few people he trusted in this world.

"We're out of here." Eliot turned on his heal.

"Eliot, stop." Nate said as he watched his hitter go. "ELIOT!" He didn't stop. Nate turned to Sophie. "What the hell were you thinking?"

"Nate this child could put us all in jeopardy." Sophie scoffed.

"When has a case not put us in jeopardy?" Parker shot back. "Why do make Kenna feel like she doesn't belong?"

"Parker…" Sophie looked at her friend. The thief stormed upstairs. Hardison looked at Nate and Sophie.

"Okay that is the final straw. You have got to get whatever bur is under your saddle out now before you tear this team apart." The hacker stood and followed Parker upstairs. Nate looked at Sophie.

"So, I guess it's just you and me." He said.

"You're not going to go running after Kenna too?"

"Even the Grinch had that little dog with antlers. I may not like what you do sometimes Sophie but I do love you. I know you're not doing this to hurt anybody Sophie but I don't know why you're doing it."

"We have risked limb and life for that girl since she came back into Eliot's life and now we are going to be chased all around Boston by dirty cops, psycho foster parents and grifter teenagers for a lost cause."

"You think a child who was forced into a life of crime is a lost cause?"

"If she is putting this crew in danger than it's time to cut our losses and let her go." Nate shook his head.

"What if it was Parker? What if we had a chance to rescue her when she was twelve? Would have turned you back on her?" Sophie looked at Nate.

"It's not the same thing and you know it Nate."

"Then I guess we're not on the same page here." Nate turned and headed upstairs to try and fix what Sophie had broken.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o

Eliot had him and Kenna packed up and headed down the back stairs just as Nate was coming up.

"Don't go." Nate looked at his hitter.

"I have a family to think about Nate and if Sophie's gonna pull this diva bull shit every time we all don't see eye to eye on something I can't trust her to protect them if I can't."

"Sophie isn't my problem right now. It's you going off half cocked. Eliot, my first order of business is to make sure Kenna and Sarah are safe. Then it's to get these foster parents. We do what we can with what we got Eliot and right now we're out a grafter so let's figure this out."

"I don't want to come between you and Sophie." Eliot leaned against the wall.

"Me and Sophie always work it out. We don't yell and kick and scream like some people." Eliot shook his head.

"Okay, let's get this thing over so we can go back to corrupt CEO's and deadbeat drug companies." They headed back to Nate's apartment.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/

Kenna put seltzer water with a twist of lime in front of Sophie.

"Spill it." She looked at the grifter.

"Spill my drink?" Sophie said. Kenna rolled her eyes.

"I know this whole thing rubs you the wrong way Sophie. It rubs us all the wrong way." Kenna sat down across from the older woman. "Eliot respects you and your opinions. If you have a problem with me please don't let it affect your relationship with Eliot."

"It took Nate a better part of two years to figure out he didn't love Maggie anymore and that maybe we had a chance. Two years. You waltz in her and the four of them trust you with their lives after barley six months."

"Eliot and I have been friends for a lot longer. They trusted Eliot, not me." Kenna knew that Sophie was always the hard sell but today, the way she was sitting there she was going to need a whole lot of convincing to make her see things their way. "I love Eliot with everything I have Sophie. I would rather die than see him hurt. I know you feel that way about all five of them. Why do you get to love that way and I don't?"

"You can't love like that in six months."

"You should know better than anyone that when it's right it's right." Kenna stood. "You can help or stay out of the way Sophie. I know this is your family and you will do the right thing. We need to work this out now because this warm and cold routine is getting a little old." Kenna turned and headed back


	13. Chapter 13

Home Fires

Chapter Thirteen

"I'm sorry." Sophie stood next to Eliot at the widow, watching Jenkins watch them.

"What's really bothering you?" He glanced at her.

"I guess the same thing that is bothering all of us."

"What would that be exactly?"

"What's going to happen when the baby gets here Eliot? We're all thinking about it. You know all I want for you and this crew is to be happy but…"

"I'm not going anywhere Sophie. Kenna and I have talked. This is where we want to be. We'll figure all the other stuff out when the time comes. We've talked about her going back to nursing so she's not working the streets; we've even talked about her going to med school. But the one thing we agree on is this is our home. With Nate, you, Parker and Hardison."

"What about Jodi and your mother?"

"We visit, they visit. Kentucky isn't an option for either of us Sophie. Bad memories are all around us there. Here is where the good ones are." Eliot leaned against the wall and looked at the grifter. "If you want to talk something out, let's talk it out. I don't want it to get so bad you piss the whole damn team off." Sophie smiled.

"I do have the flair for the dramatic."

"That's what we all love about you Soph." Eliot tweaked her nose. "Just remember the same goes for Kenna. If you have a problem with her, talk it out 'cause you don't want to see her pissed." Eliot pushed away from the wall. "Let's get this party started." Sophie nodded and followed him out the door.

0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0

Eliot headed north on his motorcycle. Kenna and Nate took the southbound route out of town in the truck. Parker took her jeep and headed west. Sophie, in her BMW headed north. Only two cars had been watching the building. They knew they wouldn't watch Eliot because there was no way he could be harboring a twelve year old girl on his bike so he stopped for supplies on the way to the farm. Even if this thing ended today he was going to keep Kenna up there for a few days just to be safe…and alone.

"_Eliot they're following us and Sophie." Nate told him over the com._

"I figured they'd go for the biggest and safest."

"_We have an hour before we meet up. Best route possible?" Nate asked him._

"Kenna knows the drill. She's out run better."

"_I know. Stay safe. See you in a few hours." Nate watched Kenna. _

"Stop staring Nate…I can do this." She smiled.

"I have no doubt."

"Then why do you look like you're worried?" She headed for the highway.

"I always look worried. Haven't you noticed?" Kenna drove in and out of traffic like a dance. No sharp corners, just a smooth motion filled waltz. "Where did you learn how to drive like this?"

"Eliot." She said. "I was twelve when we started with dirt bikes and horses. By the time he left I could drive anything on wheels or ride anything with four legs." Smiling she looked in the mirror. "McGarret tweaked the skill when I became part of his team." Nate turned back to the road.

"I'm sorry about Sophie."

"You don't have to take the blame for Sophie. She has her own demons Nate. I understand that. She cares for people more than she realizes and her only defense when one of them might be in danger is to lash out. She's calm in the con, that's all that matters. The family stuff we can fight through on our own time."

"Family stuff?"

"There no denying it Nate. You can call it a crew or a team or whatever but as much as you might hate to put that label on it that is what we are. As dysfunctional as we are, we are a family." She looked at him.

"I guess there's no other way to define it." He looked behind them.

"I lost them six miles back." She smiled. When this was over they were all in need of a knock down drag out fight and she knew it. There was more behind Sophie's tension then just the job become more complicated. Something more was behind Nate becoming sober. Something more behind the curtain they all hid behind at one time or another. Kenna knew it would end badly for all of them so she wasn't in a hurry to start the war.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o

Eliot pulled his bike into the barn and covered it with the horse blanket that was over one of the stalls. He carried the bags into the house and waited. It wasn't one of his better attributes and the fact that he was alone with his own thoughts didn't help.

"_We're at the airfield cowboy." Kenna said in his ear._

"I'll have dinner waiting." He closed his eyes. "Fly safe baby girl." Eliot whispered.

"_We will." She said. "I love you Eliot." _

"I love you too." Eliot turned off his com and opened a beer. He leaned against the counter and hoped the new plan came together.

(Earlier That Day)

"Okay instead of relying on the med chopper why don't we just rent from an air field?" Nate stated.

"And who's supposed to fly this thing?" Hardison asked. "I don't think my video games qualify as flight time."

"Kenna can fly it." She was sitting on the couch, legs tucked underneath her.

"Kenna can what?" Four voices came all at once.

"You never told them?" Nate looked at the people in the room.

"Never came up." Kenna mumbled and Sophie excused herself.

"Then we have a plan B." Parker said cheerfully.

"Maybe if we skip to plan C Sophie would get the stick out of her ass." Kenna said as she stood up and headed to get her bag.

(Present)

Eliot started dinner and hoped there didn't have a plan C.

/o/o/o/o/o/o/

Kenna put the last bag into the helicopter and shut the door.

"It'll be dark soon." Nate told her.

"I'll make it just as the sun is setting. Bonanno has the Michelson's on his radar and Jenkins new friend. It's all good. You guys get those other kids out and we can call it a day." She looked at him. Something more was bothering him than just the job. "Do we need to work this out now or can it wait?" She asked.

"It can wait." He hugged her and closed the door. Stepping back he watched her do her preflight check. Giving him thumbs up he nodded and she took off.

"This is really cool." Sarah said as they took off.

"Yeah, it is kinda cool, isn't it?" Kenna smiled. They headed toward the farm. "How are you doing?"

"Okay. Kenna what's going to happen to me when this is all over?" Sarah looked out over the trees and roads.

"I've got a few ideas." Kenna answered.

"What kind of ideas?" The girl looked skeptical...

"There are a couple of families in Kentucky that have a whole lot of love to give. If that doesn't work out there's a family here that will take you."

"You mean you and Eliot?"

"Parker and the other's too. Put your skills to good use." Sarah smiled.

"No one has ever wanted me before."

"I know the feeling sweetheart." They spent the rest of the flight enjoying the view.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o

Kenna landed at the farm just as the sun went behind the mountains. Eliot came out to help her cover the machine with the camouflaged tarp.

"Did it work?" He asked her as they worked.

"Yeah." Kenna nodded and hammered in the stakes.

"Something else happen I should know about?" He looked at her over the tail rudder.

"Nope." She smiled. "What's for dinner?"

"Chicken Marsalis." He looked at her. "What's bothering you?"

"Nothing, it's been a long day." They finished tying down the chopper and headed toward the house. Sarah was swinging on the tire swing. "She's acting like a kid again." Kenna said. Eliot reached for her hand and pulled her next to him.

"She's going to be a heartbreaker." He pulled her back against his chest and put his arms around her. Laying his head on her shoulder, they watched the girl be a child for the first time in long time.

"I called Shane to see if they have room for one more."

"What did he say?"

"Five is a good number right now. I don't blame him." Kenna absently stroked Eliot's arm. "Jodi and Charlie are next on my list."

"You know we can't save 'em all darlin'."

"We can try." She turned and kissed him. "Can we eat now?" She whined.

"You're a little needy today, you know that?"

"I know I need you every day." They started walking toward the house. "Dinner Sarah."

"Okay."

"Go wash up." Eliot told her as they got into the house. Kenna went to the fridge and pulled out the milk.

"Yes sir." The girl put her head down.

"Hey," Eliot touched her shoulder. "we're not so formal here. Eliot is fine." The little girl looked at him and nodded, smiling a small smile.

"Okay Eliot." She went to the kitchen sink and washed her hands. Kenna looked at Eliot. He had always been one to have compassion for the underdog and Sarah was that and more. Kenna came around the counter and hugged him from behind. The baby kicked him hard and he turned around.

"What was that for?" He smiled and held her close.

"You are going to rock as a dad, you know that?" She smiled.

"I don't think it's really as easy as Sarah has been and if I have to bust our kid for picking pockets I may kill Parker and send her to her room till she's forty." Kenna laughed. She let him go and went to wash up for dinner.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/

"It worked." Eliot crawled into bed next to Kenna.

"What worked?" She said drowsily.

"Nate got the Michelson's." He pulled her close and kissed her neck.

"Woo Nate." Kenna whispered and turned in his arms. Putting her head on his chest she smiled. "I knew he had it in him."

"Get some rest baby." He ran his hand down her back. Kenna was out like a light. Eliot's phone started vibrating on the bed side table. He reached for it. "This better be good." He growled.

"Wow, wake up on the wrong side of the bed much?" Jodi's voice echoed in his ear.

"Hey baby sister, how's it going?"

"Fine…your niece finally decided to make an appearance." Eliot sat up.

"Really, that's great Jo…how is she, how are you?"

"We're fine. Elaina Claire…six pounds."

"That is so great."

"Tell Kenna, would you."

"She's here; you want to talk to her?"

"I'm a little tired…I go from a mom of one to a mom of four in a few months…it takes a lot out of you."

"Four?"

"Sarah is coming to live with us when you come out for Thanksgiving." Eliot was surprised.

"I didn't know Kenna had talked to you."

"I called your place and Nate answered. He had it all worked out. That man is a genius. You could learn a thing or two." Eliot laughed.

"Yeah, I guess I could. You call if you need anything Jodi."

"You know I will big brother. Take care of your girls and mine." She whispered.

"With my life Jo. Tell mom I love her…and the kids too. I love you kid."

"What's not to love?" She said before hanging up. Eliot smiled. It was what she had said when she was little if someone said I love you to her. It had been a long time since he heard it because it had been a long time since he had said those words to Jodi. Those three words hadn't come out of his mouth in a very long time. Until Kenna had come back in his life. Kissing the top of her head he got out of bed and went down the hall and checked on Sarah. She was curled up on the bed with a stuffed bear she had found. He smiled and shut the door. Going downstairs he dialed Nate.

"Hey." Eliot said when Nate answered.

"How up north treating you?"

"Good. How's Sophie?"

"Pouting." Nate answered. Eliot sat on the couch and lay back closing his eyes.

"We need to figure out what her deal is."

"I know. Parker and Hardison are bringing you a car tomorrow."

"Don't worry about it. I got the bike if I need to go into town."

"I got you and Kenna temporary custody of Sarah."

"I heard you worked things out with Jodi."

"It didn't take much. You Spencer's are a sucker for a sob story that has a kid in it." Eliot chuckled.

"And you're not?"

"I didn't say that. Get some rest. You have the chopper till Monday." Nate hung up. Eliot shook his head. Nate was good at avoiding a subject and Eliot knew that talking about Sophie wasn't an option yet. She had crossed some lines today but she had pulled back. He wished he knew what the hell was going on with her. Tomorrow was another day. He stood, checked the doors one last time. He checked the alarm and went upstairs looking in on Sarah again then going back to his own bed. He pulled Kenna against him and laid his hand on her stomach. The fluttering started immediately.

"Night darlin'." He whispered, pressing his hand a little tighter against Kenna's abdomen. Sleep would be a long time in coming but he could lay with Kenna forever. He wished he could.


	14. Chapter 14

Home Fires

Chapter Fourteen

(Three Days Later)

Eliot parked the truck in the garage. Both Kenna and Sarah had fallen asleep after leaving the helicopter at the airfield. The both looked so innocent. Eliot chuckled to himself. He so knew better. Taking their bags he put them by the door. It had been a nice three days at the farm. They found an old pick up in the shed and between Kenna and Eliot they got it running in one morning. They road to town for some shopping and dinner. Sarah laughed for the first time in front of them. She had the sweetest giggle. They talked about Jodi and Charlie and Sarah's new brother and sisters. The girl seemed genuinely happy. Kenna let his sister meet the little girl via the internet. It was a really good three days. He climbed back into the truck leaned over and kissed Kenna.

"Mmmm peppermint." Kenna smiled, not opening her eyes.

"We're home darlin'." Eliot smiled.

"I guess that means its back to the real world." She opened one eye.

"For a little while." He kissed her again. "I had a good time with you and Sarah."

"You had your doubts?" Eliot looked over at the girl.

"No." He helped her out of the truck and woke up Sarah. "Hey kiddo."

"Are we home?" She said sleepily.

"Yeah sweetheart, we're home." Eliot whispered. "You can go back to sleep when we get upstairs." He lifted her out of the truck and before he set her down the girl wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Thank you." She said, kissed his cheek and pushed herself down and ran into the bar. Eliot was frozen. Kenna looked at the man who could lay eight men down in thirty seconds, floored by a child's kiss.

"You get all the girls with that hero thing you do so well Eliot." Kenna smiled. He turned to her and the look in his eyes would have scared anyone else.

"I'm nobody's hero." He ground out loudly. Turning he grabbed the bags and headed upstairs, leaving Kenna to wonder what just happened.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/

"Welcome home." Nate hugged Kenna as she walked into the bar. Hardison, Parker and Sophie sat at the table with him.

"Thanks." She pushed away from Nate and looked at her friends. "Thank you all for what you did for Sarah."

"No problem." Hardison answered.

"Where's Eliot?" Parker asked.

"He went to bring the bags upstairs. I'm going to head up too."

"Kenna what's wrong?" Nate asked.

"Nothing, just tired, I'll see you in the morning." Nate watched her go. Something was wrong. Kenna was never tense around them. Maybe it was the way things were left with Sophie but something was defiantly wrong.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o

Kenna found Topher and Sarah cuddled up in the spare bedroom fast asleep. She tucked the little girl in and stroked the cat for a minute before she headed to look for Eliot. He wasn't in the apartment so she grabbed a couple of sweatshirts and headed to the roof. She found him standing near the ledge by the herb garden. She stood and watched the sheer perfection of him. The way he controlled a room from the moment he entered it always amazed her. He lifted the beer bottle to his lips and it sent a chill down her spine.

"Are you just gonna sit there and stare Kenna Shane?" He said without turning around.

"I was just enjoying the view." She walked over to him and put her arms around his waist and laid her head against his back. He didn't relax into her like he normal did. He was stiff and cold. "What's wrong?" She whispered.

"What you said before got me thinking." He didn't say anymore. Eliot looked out over the city.

"You've always been my hero Eliot." She ran her cheek over his back. He turned and pushed her arms length away.

"I did what I did because I loved you Kenna. It was for purely selfish reasons. That's not a hero." Kenna looked at him. His hands gripping her upper arms almost painfully. He noticed what he was doing and let her go.

"Selfish or not Eliot, you did it because you're a good man." Kenna crossed her arms over her chest and hugged her self.

"Kenna I haven't been a good man since I stole your virginity twenty years ago." Said with a sarcastic chuckle.

"You can't steal what's given to you outright Eliot James Spencer." Kenna shot back. She rubbed her hands over the red and swollen skin of her upper arms. "Why are you trying to make yourself something you're not?"

"I left Kentucky and never looked back Kenna. That should be enough to prove to you I'm not the man you want me to be."

"You are everything I ever needed Eliot. Then and now."

"How can you say that knowing everything I've done?" He looked back out across the city. "How can you trust me with a kid, knowing I've hurt people?" Kenna touched his arm. He tensed.

"You could never hurt us Eliot." She took a step back. "I'm going to leave for Kentucky in the morning to bring Sarah. I thought we'd wait for Thanksgiving but…you need some time to work out whatever it going though your mind." He didn't turn around. Kenna turned and headed inside. "Sophie wins." Kenna whispered to herself.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o

"Are you out of your ever loving mind?" Hardison stood in front of Eliot as he sat at the table in the corner of the bar. Eliot looked at him with cold blue eyes. "I knew you were a cold son of a bitch but I thought she meant more to you than that."

"Hardison, what the hell are you talking about?" He took a long drag from his beer.

"You're just letting her walk."

"Kenna is a big girl Hardison. Delusional at times but a big girl none the less. She knows what she's doing."

"Yeah she's leaving your sorry ass as we speak."

"She's going to Kentucky Hardison, not Timbuktu. She'll be back." Eliot really didn't care right now. His head was so full of bad memories and even worse sins that he wished Kenna would go to Kentucky and never look back.

"You need to talk this out. Aren't you the one always sayin' that's the best way?"

"We can't talk this one out." Eliot looked down at the table. "Just let it go, okay."

"Your not going to let her win are you?"

"Who?"

"Sophie man, you can't let her win this." Eliot looked at his friend.

"Sophie has nothing to do with this." Hardison shook his head.

"What does it have to do with?"

"Kenna sees me as something I'm not."

"The way I see it, you're everything to Kenna."

"She needs more than I can give."

"Eliot, she's carrying your baby man. I think you've given her pretty much everything you've got." Eliot closed his eyes and shook his head.

"I just can't do it." Hardison looked at him.

"You do what you have to but think it through man. Remember what the two of you went thought to get to this moment. Think about your baby." Hardison got up. "Think about your family." The hacker looked into the cold blue eyes of the hitter. "She's what you've been fighting for your whole life. Don't let those bad memories spoil all the good ones." Hardison walked away. Eliot slammed the rest of his beer and headed up to his empty bed.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o

Kenna stood looking out the bedroom window. The crib had been delivered sometime while they were gone and Parker had said that they waited for Eliot because it was something a daddy should do. Kenna tried not to cry but the tears welled up in her eyes and spilled onto her cheeks. Sliding down the wall she hugged her legs to her stomach and began to shake. Eliot had bad days, she knew that. She knew that this would blow over but it still hurt none the less.

"Kenna?" Sarah's voice broke through the darkness. "Kenna, are you okay?" The little girl came to her.

"I'm okay sweetie." Kenna wiped her tears. "Go back to bed."

"I'll go get Eliot." The girl got up. Kenna grabbed her hand and stopped her.

"No, I'm fine. You go back to bed."

"Are you sure, I can go get Eliot."

"Eliot's gone baby." Kenna stood. The fluttering in her stomach made the tears start again. "Go to sleep. We'll leave for Jodi's and Charlie's in the morning."

"I thought I was going to stay here till after Halloween and Parker's birthday." Kenna touched the child's hair.

"It's better this way. You can get started with school and make new friends."

"Please. Just till Parker's birthday." Sarah begged. Kenna looked at her.

"Okay, but we'll go to the farm." She answered. "Get some sleep." Kenna tucked in the girl.

"Thanks Kenna." Kenna nodded and headed out of the room. She hoped that Eliot had gone to bed and she wouldn't have to face him tonight but he was standing in the kitchen with his hands on the counter. He looked up at her. Again she wasn't afraid. Just sad.

"I hurt you and I'm sorry." Eliot looked at her. "I can't be your hero Kenna."

"You already are." She stood, arms crossed over her chest. "If what you've done makes you a bad man, what does that make me?" Kenna felt the tears well up again. "I've hurt people too Eliot. I've been to the places you've been to, done the things you've done. What does that make me?" He looked at her.

"You did it for all the right reasons." What reasons did he have for stealing for the highest bidder? Purely selfish. After the Ranger's threw him under the bus, what was he suppose to do?

"You did too¸ and you do now. Haven't we gone through this over and over? The past is the past."

"What are we going to tell her about us?" Eliot motioned to Kenna's expanding abdomen. She moved her hand down and stroked the bump she had marveled over for the past few days.

"That we love her." Kenna looked into his eyes. "That we love each other. Has that changed?"

"You know it hasn't." His voice was soft but his eyes were still full of hate. Not for her but himself.

"Then we still have a chance to work this out." She turned and went into the bedroom. Eliot watched her walk away for the second time tonight. He knew that he needed to fix this before she walked out of his life for good. Finishing his beer he headed to try and salvage what was left of his relationship with the one person who understood him.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o

Kenna looked in the mirror. Her puffy eyes and red nose glowing in the florescent light of the bathroom.

"You can do this Kenna Shane." She whispered to herself. "You've faced men with guns and woman with beer bottles. Eliot loves you for some God forsaken reason, so make him see what you see in him." Running the cold water Kenna cupped her hands and leaned over dousing her face in the frigid liquid. When she stood straight and looked into the mirror Eliot was behind her. There was something different in his eyes. Fear. He looked at her upper arms. The bruises were just starting to form.

"Oh God." He reached for her and she didn't flinch. "You should be scared of me."

"I could never be afraid of you Eliot." She turned and looked at him. "You have never hurt me on purpose. You've always made me feel safe."

"Till now." He said Horsley. She shook her head.

"This …" She pointed to her arm. "was raw emotion Eliot. It's nothing."

"I hurt you." There was a panic in his voice.

"No, you could never hurt me Eliot." She touched his cheek and kissed the stubble on his chin.

"But I did." At the sound of her father's voice the baby started her dance for him. Kenna reached out and put his hand on her.

"Have faith." She whispered. "Just this once." The tears welled up in her eyes again. "Have faith in us." He pulled her into his arms and held her close. He didn't know if it was faith or what it was but he needed her in his life. Needed them. "Have faith in her."

"I'm sorry." She held him close.

"Never be sorry for talking it out cowboy." He knew she was right. If they talked, they could figure anything out. Maybe if he would have talked more and fought less it wouldn't be so hard to let himself be happy.

"I love you Kenna Shane." He whispered in her ear.

"Don't you forget that Eliot, ever." She pushed him back into the bedroom and proved that make up sex was the very best kind of sex, ever.


	15. Chapter 15

Home Fires

Chapter Fifteen

Kenna hit the bag with such force it moved a good six inches across the floor. Eliot could tell she was tense by the way she was taking out her frustrations on the piece of equipment. Her kicks were right on target and her hits would put even the strongest men down. He had spared with her enough to know that there was emotion behind the workout. More emotion than she would let anyone, even him in on.

"You just going to stand there and stare Eliot James?" She said without missing a beat. Her leg flew up hitting the bottom heavy bag and nearly toppling it.

"I thought maybe I should stand back here in case you're pretending that bag is me." Eliot took a few steps forward and Kenna swiveled on the ball of her left foot and came around with her right. He blocked the kick and the next three punches that were aimed at him but her left leg swinging out took him by surprise and he toppled to the ground. "That's new." He said looking up at her.

"I thought you'd like it." She offered him her gloved hand and he took it….pulling her down on top of him. He flipped her on her back and straddled her. "That's not new." She said.

"But I know you liked it." He bent down and kissed her. "Who were you beating up just now?" Kenna looked into his eyes but didn't say anything. "I hope it wasn't yourself?"

"I'm my biggest critic. You know that." She hooked her leg just enough to catch him off balance and he ended up on his back with a knee between his thighs and her left foot against his throat.

"You've been practicing." He smiled.

"I'm fighting for two now." Her brown eyes shined with exhilaration.

"Are you trying to tell me that you can take care of yourself?" Kenna shifted and rolled off of him. She curled her legs under her chin and Eliot boosted himself on his elbows.

"You had doubts?"

"Not about you Kenna. Never about you." He looked at her. "We have to talk to Sophie together. I want this worked out before we leave town again."

"I don't know what's going on with her. We work it out and then she treats me like I have the plague."

"I think she's been the mama bear for awhile now and she thinks you might just be playing games with her cubs." Kenna shook her head.

"God, what is this high school? I don't want to be anything but who I am. I don't want to take over her job and the only cub I want to play games with is you." She wiped the sweat off her brow and lay down on the mat, looking at the ceiling. "Why doesn't Nate marry that woman already so she can stop thinking the whole world is out to get them?"

"Do you think that's the solution?" He ran his hand up her thigh.

"I think that I don't know Sophie well enough to figure her out." Kenna got up and bounded to her feet. "I need a shower." Kenna smiled. "Your looking pretty dirty yourself Mr. Spencer." She offered her hands and planted her feet. He reached up and let her pull him off the floor.

"I wasn't that way till you came back in my life Kenna Shane." He pulled her into his arms and kissed her.

"Whatever." Kenna smiled. They headed to the shower, not necessarily to get clean.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/

(Eight Hours Later)

"Eliot wants to know why you're not at Nate's." Sarah came through the apartment door.

"I wasn't invited." Kenna didn't look up from her book. The girl came and poked at Kenna's ear, turning her com on.

"Get your ass to dinner." Eliot said in her ear.

"Not hungry." She pressed her com off. "Go eat Sarah. Mind your manners, Sophie's in a mood."

"How come I have to go and you don't?" The girl asked.

"Because I said so." Sarah poked at Kenna's ear again.

"Damn it Kenna get over here." Eliot hollered in her ear. Kenna looked at Sarah. She turned off the com.

"Stop doing that." Kenna told Sarah and then she stood up and slid on her slippers. "Who died and made you the dinner Nazi?" The girl smiled.

"Uncle Eliot." Kenna couldn't help but smile.

"Uncle Eliot, huh? Well we can't disappoint Uncle Eliot." Kenna and Sarah went downstairs. Nate's door was open and a loud conversation seemed to be getting louder.

"Maybe we should go to McDonalds." Sarah said. Kenna shook her head.

"I asked you to do one thing Sophie. One thing. You said you would try and work it out for me." Eliot threw the plate he had in his hand down in front of the woman. "You really can be…what is it you call it…a wanker."

"Eliot…" Nate looked at the hitter.

"No, I told you what would happen if this went on."

"STOP!" Kenna looked at the three people sitting at the table. "Sarah go and eat." Sarah sat down next to Nate. Kenna sat down next to Eliot and looked at Nate and Sophie across the table. "If you need to fight don't do it in front of the kid." She warned them all.

"Kenna…" Nate looked at her.

"Just forget it Nate. We'll work it out some other time." Kenna pulled her plate in front of her. Eliot sat down. "Sorry, I'm late." She said. Everyone was quiet. Too quiet. "So Parker and I are going Halloween shopping tomorrow Sophie. Would you like to come with us?" Kenna put it out there for the woman. She knew Parker wanted her to go but she wasn't sure if Sophie would want to.

"It's been awhile since I've shopped for costumes. What would you like to be Sarah?" Sophie asked politely. Kenna felt Eliot's hand on her leg. She looked at him and smiled.

"I don't know. I never really dressed up. Now I'm pretty old."

"You're never too old to dress up." Sophie declared. The conversation stayed light after that. Talking about Halloween traditions in England and the United States and talking about things they had done as children. Nate even shared some stories about Sam. Kenna looked at the older man's eyes light up when he talked about his late son. Kenna watched Sophie's reaction when the boy was mentioned and Kenna began to see why Sophie had become so bitter. Sarah and Kenna cleaned off the table did the dishes as they shared more child hood stories. By the time the three left Nate and Sophie's the fight was nearly forgotten.

O/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/

"You have a way with turning things around, you know that?" Eliot said that night as they lay in bed.

"I think I know what's bothering Sophie. You told me she thought something was wrong with her because she doesn't see herself as mother. Maybe seeing the way Nate is with Sarah and how truly happy he is about our baby is taking a toll on her." Eliot thought about it a minute and then nodded.

"You might be right. But that's no reason to be rude to you." Eliot was not in the mood to defend his friend tonight.

"I thought she really liked me before but since she found out that I'm pregnant she just seems to want me anyplace but here." Kenna sighed.

"Maybe it's because we remind her of what Nate had with Maggie." Eliot ran his hand down Kenna's back.

"We are nothing like them. They were like Ken and Barbie….we're like…"

"Wolverine and Jean Grey?" Eliot chuckled.

"Well, kinda." Kenna ran her hand down his chest. "Maybe she thinks it's too late. Nate already had the picket fence and all that." She kissed his neck and slid her leg over his. "I'm done talking about why Sophie wants me gone."

"Darlin' she doesn't want you gone, she just wants to be happy. When Sophie isn't happy, none of us are happy." Kenna slid over Eliot and kissed his chest.

"You seem pretty happy there cowboy." Kenna smiled.

"You know I'll give you three hours to quit that." Kenna slid down his body kissing him. "Ahhh Kenna Shane…you are gonna be the death of me."

"You wouldn't have it any other way." She said. He pulled her back up his body and kissed her lips. Rolling her on to her back Eliot looked into her eyes. "I love you Eliot." Kenna whispered as she ran her hands down his bare back.

"I love you too." He kissed her deeply and held her close. "Work it out with Sophie tomorrow when you go shopping."

"Or?"

"Or I will do what Parker did to us the last time she caught us fighting."

"You lock me and Sophie in a room together it will be the last time you will be in naked in bed with me for a very long time Eliot Spencer." She kissed him.

"You couldn't deny me." He smiled.

"You really think that don't you?" Kenna laughed.

"Sweetheart I know you can't." He knew her too well. Even if she was mad as hell at him, he still made her weak in the knees with one look. She didn't want to talk any more. She pulled him to her and made sure he knew that she could never deny him anything, ever.


	16. Chapter 16

Home Fires

Chapter Sixteen

"I really like this one." Sarah twirled around in the black cloak and pointy hat.

"A witch is always a good choice." Kenna said as she smiled. "What do you think Sophie?" She looked at the woman next to her.

"Stellar choice Sarah. We can do your hair and paint your face green." Sarah looked at Kenna.

"Can we Kenna?" The girl looked at her.

"You bet." Kenna answered.

"You guys aren't getting a costume?" Parker asked as she looked at the sexy chamber maid outfit.

"Too pregnant." Kenna answered.

"Too frightening." Sophie replied. "Did you see the bar last year? It was insane."

"You should live it up a little." Parker handed Sophie a sexy cop outfit. "Just 'cause your pregnant and old doesn't mean you're dead." Sophie looked at Kenna.

"Did she just call me old?"

"This is Parker Sophie, I don't think she meant it but you know I think she's right about one thing." Kenna went to the rack and started looking through it. "We should live it up. All of us. We can get something for the boys and we can go all out this year."

"You mean dress up and go to the bar party?" Parker didn't look to happy. She didn't need to stab another stranger in the heat of a nervous moment.

"Not the party. We can take Sarah trick or treating and just enjoy the night." Kenna raised her eyebrows begging silently. Parker looked at Sophie with child like eyes. But it was Sarah who melted the grifter's heart.

"Please Aunt Sophie…it would be lots of fun and talking Uncle Nate and Uncle Eliot into will be as much fun as seeing them in their costumes." The blond child's eyes danced with mischief. If the three didn't know exactly what the girl was doing she might have talked them into robbing a bank.

"Oh, she's good." Sophie smiled. "We may have to keep this one." Sophie pulled the girl into a quick hug. "What do you have in mind for your uncle's Sarah?" There was so much of the grifter and the thief in the child Kenna couldn't help but smile.

"Defiantly pirates." The three women smiled. "Oh... wait, Uncle Nate can be Robin Hood and Uncle Eliot and Uncle Alec can be his merry men." This time the three women broke into exuberant laughter.

"Okay, then Sophie can be Maid Marion and we can be her ladies in waiting." Kenna looked at Parker.

"Oh...oh yeah, please Sophie," Parker begged.

"I love it. Let's do it." The women helped Sarah get her costume and then they set off to find the perfect outfits for themselves and the men in their lives. This was going to be a Halloween no one would soon forget.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o

"Absolutely not!" Eliot ground out when he heard the girls plan.

"Come on Eliot. I promise it will be fun." Kenna begged and gave him her pouty lips.

"You know how I feel about Halloween Kenna."

"So you're going to let something that happened in the seventh grade screw up a child's first chance at a normal Halloween."

"You would remember that." He shook his head.

"Yeah, because I was there." Eliot looked at her. He had been invited to a party by a girl he really had a crush on. It didn't end the way he wanted and it didn't end pretty either. But he did get to kiss that perfect mouth just once before she ruined his life forever. Or at least till two years later when he found out Kenna was the one true love of his life. "Shelby wasn't even there. She was grounded." Kenna told him. "Got busted with little bottles of airline booze in her bag."

"She was there. She pulled me in the closet and kissed me. That's why her brother tried to kill me." Kenna curled herself into him.

"It wasn't Shelby." Her hand rand down his chest.

"Kenna…" How could he be so dense? "you?"

"Yeah, I was mad at you for wanting to take Shelby so I planted the bottles and made her give me her costume. Her brother didn't know she was grounded so he thought you kissed his sister."

"I should have known when I reached for her boob and nearly got my hand broker." He looked down at her. "You were twelve."

"It took another two years to make you kiss me again." Eliot pulled her close. "It might have ruined Halloween for you, but it was the best one ever for me." Kissing the top of her head Eliot knew he couldn't deny her anything.

"No tights." He whispered in her hair.

"But Eliot…just think how hot that would be having me tear them off of you at the end of the night." He growled.

"You're killing me Kenna Shane." Her hand slid inside his shirt and she ran it down his bare chest. "Only if Nate and Hardison will wear them." He said through clenched teeth. Kenna smiled. She knew that Sophie and Sarah were working on Nate and Hardison would do pretty much anything Parker asked.

"I'm sure that won't be a problem." Elliot grabbed Kenna and pulled her on his lap. She straddled him and he pulled her so her stomach was level with his mouth.

"You have a sassy mouth like your mother kid and you'll spend a lot of time in your room." He slid up her shirt and ran his warm lips over Kenna's swollen belly. His hands moving to her breasts that were also getting bigger as her pregnancy progressed. Closing her eyes Kenna let the sensation of his touch wash over her.

"Does that mean you're going to do it?" She whispered. He stopped kissing her stomach and looked into her eyes. He didn't have to say anything because the look he gave her said it all. He would move mountains for the people in his life but he would die protecting her and if it made her happy he would put on tights and make one young girls first Halloween the best one ever. Eliot moved his hand to the back of her neck and kissed her deeply; shifting his weight he flipped her on her back.

"Yeah, I'll do it." He smiled and kissed her again. "You owe me."

"I thought I was paying you back by letting you feel all my girl parts." Eliot chuckled.

"Oh that's how your gonna play it." Running his hand back up her shirt he kissed her then leaned over and whispered against her ear. "Your going have to do more than let me touch your girl parts woman." Kenna felt the snap on her jeans give.

"And if I say no?" She asked.

"Darlin' you haven't been able to say no to me since the day we met." She knew he was right and she really was in no position to argue.

0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0

"Hi Uncle Nate." Sarah sat down across from him at the table.

"I thought you were shopping with the girls."

"We're back. Kenna let me get stuff to make my face green." Nate looked up from his file he was looking at. It was less than a week till Halloween and he had a job that was ripe for the team. He was going to miss seeing the girl get dressed up for the first time in her young life.

"I'm sorry I'm going to miss the big day." The little child looked horrified.

"Aunt Sophie has it all worked out with costumes and everything." The girl looked at him with soulful green eyes. "You gotta be here Uncle Nate. Even Uncle Eliot is going to have a costume." Nate looked at Sophie who was standing in the door way holding a green Robin Hood outfit.

"Uncle Eliot is dressing in tights and tunic?" Nate tried to hold back a smile.

"Kenna said he would. And Parker is making Alec where one too." Sarah said with all the emotion that was in her heart.

"We tried to talk her into Little John for Hardison but Sarah said she wanted all of you in tights." Sophie walked to Nate. "You wouldn't want to disappoint a child on her first real honest to goodness Halloween." She went to touch his arm but he stopped her.

"You don't need to brain wash me into anything Sophie. I'll do it on one condition." He looked at her.

"What?" She crossed her arms over her chest.

"You let yourself have fun." He said. It had been a long time since she had let herself really let go.

"I have fun." She smiled.

"Real fun Sophie. The kind that you giggle for no reason and you let a stupid joke be the funniest thing you ever heard. Just be silly."

"I'm game if you are." Nate reached for her and pulled her into his lap. Sarah giggled.

"Then you my dear will see me in tights." He kissed her cheek and whispered. "And in anything else you want me in." Now it was Sophie's turn to giggle.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/

"Hell no. Hell no with a cherry on top." Hardison looked at the outfit Parker had in front of her.

"Oh come on Alec. Eliot and Nate are going to wear one just like it."

"No. Not even in your wildest dreams Parker. Nate maybe but no way in hell is Eliot Spencer going to put on tights and tunic."

"I will bet you anything that Eliot will wear the costume."

"Anything?" Hardison knew this was a bet he was surly going to win.

"Anything." Parker's eyes sparkled with mischief.

"Okay, Eliot denies Kenna the tight and tunic action I get all the…" He did his little air quote thing. "'pretzels' I can eat for a week." Hardison grinned.

"Does that mean if I win I get to deny you any…" Air quotes were injected by Parker. "'pretzels' for a week?" Hardison laughed.

"Like you could go that long without your favorite snack food." Parker rolled her eyes.

"You are a bit full of yourself, do you know that?"

"You can't deny your need for a salty dark roasted treat now and then baby." He really did get on her nerves now and then.

"If I win you keep your ego in check for a whole week. No 'that's what I do baby' or 'Age of the geek baby' can leave your mouth."

"Deal. I could bet a trillion dollars because baby, there is no way Eliot James Spencer will put on green tights and wear a feather in his hat." Parker knew Eliot would die for Kenna. Putting on a pair of tights to make his pregnant girlfriend happy was a cake walk compared to that. Parker handed Hardison a joystick. "I'll play you for a serving of 'pretzels'." Parker was getting really good at the air quote things.

"You on baby." Hardison started the game and grinned. Winning was never going feel so sweet.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o

"You do know how totally whipped we are?" Nate said over his coffee the next morning.

"Hell yeah." Eliot answered. "Me more than you." Eliot took a sip of his coffee. "At least I got some really mind blowing sex out of it."

"Wow, Eliot, thanks for sharing that." Nate shook his head trying to get the image out of it.

"That's how they get you. Threaten to not give you any. Thing is they can't do without it but they will never admit it."

"Eliot please, stop." The hitter looked at his boss.

"Sorry. I just need to…vent." Nate looked at the man who could face a dozen men without batting an eye. He looked beat even though it had been over two weeks since they had a real job.

"Okay, vent." Nate knew that Eliot wouldn't be telling him if he didn't need to talk.

"It's just…man since Kenna's been pregnant…she's always…" He wasn't sure how to word it.

"Needing attention?" Nate helped him.

"Yeah. Pretty much. I mean Nate, I shouldn't complain. Most men would kill for the chance to…but I'm not as young as I used to be." Nate laughed.

"If we all had your troubles Eliot." He looked at the younger man. "Maggie was just the opposite so I never had that type of problem. Maybe we need an out of town job so you can get some rest."

"Nate Halloween is on Sunday. Do you have a five day job up your sleeve?" Nate looked at the files on the desk.

"I got a three day in and out. CEO of an architecture firm using low grade materials to build his projects."

"Three days…in and out?"

"Three days." Eliot looked at the file.

"You do know if we're not back by Sunday we might as well not come home at all." Nate looked at Eliot.

"I'll round up the rest of team; you go tell Kenna that we'll be back by Saturday at the latest." Eliot shook his head.

"I'll trade you." Eliot stood up and took his coffee and headed to tell Kenna he was off on another case.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o

"You won't make it back." Kenna sat in the middle of the bed watching Eliot pack.

"Nate promised." Eliot threw a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt in his bag.

"Nate's an alcoholic who plans ways to screw the system."

"He's also the man you trust to get me home every time I leave. I always come home Kenna." Kenna pulled her legs against her chest. She knew Nate would do everything in his power to be home in time for Sarah's Halloween debut.

"Is this how it's going to be? We make plans; you leave and hope to get home in time to see them through?" Eliot dropped his bag on the floor and sat on the bed in front of her.

"It won't be. I promise." He lifted her chin. "I don't have to go."

"Yeah, you do." She leaned over and kissed him. "Be careful."

"I will be back for Sarah." He kissed her again. "And so you can rip those tights off me like you promise." Kenna smiled.

"If you're not back by Sunday morning…"

"Don't come back at all." He finished and stood. Kenna watched him walk out the door. She threw herself back and looked at the ceiling. IT was going to be a very long few days. At least she had Sarah to look after. Getting up she headed to the living to see if the girl wanted to order a pizza and watch a movie. Kenna hoped Nate would do right by them all and be home by Saturday night.


	17. Chapter 17

Home Fires

Chapter Seventeen

(Four Days Later)

"Why haven't they called?" Sarah sat on the bed letting Kenna brush her hair.

"They don't call. It's just the way things are." She answered the girl.

"Why couldn't we go with them?" The girl asked.

"Because I'm pregnant and you're a kid." Kenna stated the obvious.

"I don't like Mrs. Lennox." Sarah told her.

"I know, but I had to work tonight and well…I thought Eliot might have been home by now. I promise no more sitters." Kenna knew how it felt to be in a place you didn't fit in or belong. Sarah had grown comfortable with her new family and when she had to be left with a stranger it almost ended in disaster. "Thank you for not taking all her money playing poker."

"She had a tell." Kenna shook her head.

"No more poker with Eliot and Nate either." Kenna braided the girl's hair.

"It's Saturday night." The girl informed her.

"I know Sarah and Eliot and Nate gave their word. I trust them."

"So do I." The girl's eyes grew heavy.

"Time to hit the hay kiddo."

"Not yet Kenna, please." The girl pleaded.

"Tomorrow is a big day. Get some rest."

"What if they don't get back?" Sarah got up and headed to the door.

"They will." Kenna got up and followed the girl to her bed. Topher followed them and jumped on the bed to snuggle his new friend. "Night Sarah."

"Night Kenna." She tucked the girl in.

"I promise Eliot Eggs and Parker Pancakes with Sophie syrup for breakfast." Kenna whispered.

"Hardison hash browns and Nate's napkins to wipe up the spills." The girl finished. Kenna smiled. It was a game they played one morning when they were the first ones up.

"Sweet dreams." Kenna took a step back and closed the door. She turned to run into a solid chest. Holding back a scream she looked up into Eliot's blue eyes.

"Damn it Spencer, you scared the hell out of me." He smiled and pressed her against the wall. He kissed her without saying a word. When he leaned into her Kenna felt him flinch. She moved away and pulled up his right sleeve.

"You need to ice that." She said.

"I need you to stop moving so I can give you a proper hello."

"You've waited four days. You can wait five more minutes." She ducked under his arm and headed to the freezer. Getting the ice pack from the freezer and a beer from the fridge she went to the couch where Eliot had decided to plant himself. She handed him the beer and put the ice pack genially on his elbow. "How was your trip?"

"We got the job done." Kenna nodded.

"Good. Sarah was starting to get worried."

"What about you?"

"I never worry, I plot revenge." She sat on the arm of the couch and looked at him. He looked almost better than when he left. "I'm going to bed." She headed to the bedroom. Eliot stared at her retreating form. He was in trouble and he didn't even know why. The last job he left town for they didn't leave the bedroom for three days after he got back and now she just wants to go to bed. What the hell. He got up and followed her.

"Did I do something to piss you off Kenna?" He asked her.

"No, why?" Kenna kicked off her slippers and got into bed.

"Because I just got home and you don't seem to care."

"I just worked a ten hour shift and came home to our twelve year old ward taking her babysitter's social security check in a poker game. I went shopping for Parker's birthday dinner and cleaned three ambulances. How was your day?" She pulled the covers over her and turned her back to him.

"I was attacked by ten security guards at a construction site, six of which pulled guns." He pulled off his shirt. "I worked on the thirty second floor of a building that was constructed out of sub standard material not fit to build a doll house with and I had to watch Parke dive off said building without anything more than a rope and her flying skills." He pulled off his jeans, turned off the light and got into bed. Back to back they laid there, neither one of them willing to give in. Eliot felt the mattress move and he felt the small flutters against his back. Feeling his child kicking against his back made him smile.

"At least someone's happy I'm home." Eliot felt Kenna put her arm around his waist and pull him closer. He tried hard not to flinch.

"I'm happy your home Eliot." She kissed the back of his neck. "I never missed you quite as much as I did this trip." She laid her cheek against his back and let her hand gently caress his bare chest. Eliot closed his eyes. He had missed her more too. It was like the longer they were together the harder it was to be apart. Was that normal?

"I know the feeling." He whispered. He turned over and took her into his arms. "We have a long day tomorrow." Eliot kissed her.

"We can sleep in a little I'm sure." Kenna's hands roamed up and down his back and lower.

"Sarah's going to be so excited she won't be able to sleep. It'll be like Christmas." He pulled off her tank top.

"I think you might be right, so maybe we should go to sleep." She moaned when he reached for her panties.

"Screw sleep." He growled and showed her just how much he missed her.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/

Eliot put the jack o lantern pancakes on the table. It was five in the morning and he knew Kenna was about four hours from even lifting her head off the pillow but Sarah and Parker would be up any minute. He heard the knob turn on the front door and didn't even bother picking up the knife that always sat next to him on the counter.

"Morning Sparky." Parker said quietly,

"Morning." The door of the spare bedroom slowly opened and a blond head popped out.

"Uncle Eliot." The little girl whispered loudly and ran across the living room launching herself at him. He caught her in mid air and she hugged him tightly. "I was so worried you wouldn't make it." He hugged the girl and put her down.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world." He watched as the girl went and hugged Parker. Jodi and Charlie were getting a very special young woman. She had bounced back so quickly from the crap she had gone through in foster care. Sometimes he wished that Kenna and he lived a different kind of life.

"You made Parker pancakes." The girl said giggling. Eliot smiled.

"You really need to stop hanging out with Kenna." He joked.

"I like when she names our food." Parker said with a grin.

"You would." Eliot took two plates down and put the pumpkin shaped pancakes on them.

"Why don't you take Kenna some?" Parker said. "Tell her about the trip."

"She doesn't need to know the details Parker." He put some more pancakes to cook.

"Eliot she will want to know." Eliot looked at her.

"It's fine." He motioned to Sarah. "Just let it go Parker."

"Please talk to her. We all have each other to talk it out with and Kenna will understand." Eliot looked at Parker. "Sooner or later she's going to see your back Eliot." Parker hissed. Sarah was too into her pancakes to notice the grownups.

"She knows what I do."

"But you got knocked out." Parker glared at him. "For a really long time."

"Let it go Parker." Eliot growled.

"I won't. Kenna needs to know what the doctor said."

"It's a bump on the head Parker." Eliot hissed.

"A bump that knocked you on your ass." She whispered.

"Fine, when she wakes up I will tell her." Parker smiled because she got her way. Eliot finished making pancakes and took a cup of coffee and a plate into the bedroom. Kenna was curled up in the middle of the bed with nothing on but his sheets. The smell of coffee made her stir.

"You better not be teasing me Spencer." Kenna growled without opening her eyes.

"I never tease a woman who can kick my ass on a bad day." He handed her the cup as she sat up.

"I knew I loved you for a reason." She looked at him. "What's wrong?" Kenna could see something was troubling him.

"I just wanted to…yesterday I got hit pretty hard in the back of the head. I was out for awhile."

"How long is a while?" Kenna asked.

"A bout thirty minutes. I went to the hospital. The doctor said it was a minor concussion. I promised to take it easy for a week and he let me fly home." Kenna knew what his job entailed. She'd done it the job a few times herself but she still worried.

"Your back?"

"Bruised pretty badly." Last night she knew that there was more to his injuries than just his elbow. She put her cup down and got up and went around the bed. She went behind him and pulled up his shirt. "Eliot, oh God."

"I've had worse." He smiled, Kenna didn't.

"Eliot, I know you think that you're indestructible…" Kenna didn't want to fight. She couldn't any more. Sitting on the bed she ran her hands though her hair. "I get it." Kenna took a deep breath. "Just be more careful." Standing she headed for the bathroom but Eliot grabbed her arm.

"Don't do this Kenna. Don't shut me out." She looked at him.

"I would never do that Eliot." She answered quietly. "I'll be back out for pancakes in a few minutes." She touched his cheek and kissed his lips. "I love you." She headed to the bathroom and Eliot wondered what she was holding back.

/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/

"You can't make me go out in public like this." Eliot looked at Kenna and Sarah. The little girl's eyes were bright with excitement and well Kenna's eyes were pretty much filled with things little girls didn't think of.

"You look really good Uncle Eliot." He shook his head. The child played them all like a fiddle. If she wanted something or wanted to make sure you did what she wanted she would throw that uncle thing in for good measure.

"Really, really good Uncle Eliot." Kenna's eyes went up and down him. The green tights and the calf high leather boots made his muscles more defined. The green tunic hugged his chest and his arms like a second skin. "Really good." She couldn't stop staring.

"You do know there is a twelve year old in the room." Sarah interjected. Both Eliot and Kenna laughed.

"Yeah, we know." Kenna looked at the girl. Sophie had spiked up the girls hair around her witches hat and done her green make up flawlessly. "A very wicked one at that."

"Why don't you go downstairs and see if everyone's ready." Eliot handed the little girl a com to put in her ear.

"You have five minutes before I send someone to find you." The girl scolded as she grabbed her broom and headed downstairs. Eliot turned to Kenna. Her petticoats billering around her.

"That girl is gonna give Jodi and Charlie a run for their money." Eliot touched her cheek. "You look beautiful." He pulled her face toward his and kissed her.

"Thank you. I'm really going to enjoy yanking those tights off you later." She rested her head on his shoulder and tried to keep herself from running her hands down his badly beaten back.

"Maybe we can skip the trick or treating." He whispered in her ear.

"You wouldn't do that to Sarah." Kenna clung to the leather vest that covered the tunic Eliot wore. She inhaled his scent and reminded herself they were safe. As long as he was here with them, they would always be safe.

"We should go before Sarah sends up the cavalry." Kenna smiled.

"I guess we should." She pushed herself away from him. "The minute that kids asleep you're all mine Spencer." Kenna turned and Eliot but his arm around her shoulder.

"Darlin' you don't have to ask me twice." They headed to Nate's and a night one little girl wouldn't soon forget.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/

"She had such a good time." Parker sat in the poker room with Kenna as Nate, Eliot and Hardison went through Sarah's candy with a fine tooth comb and a portable x ray machine Hardison picked up somewhere. Sophie brought them both something to drink and sat down next to them.

"I can say I had a good time too." Sophie replied. "Thank you Kenna, for talking me into it." Kenna looked at the dark haired woman.

"I'm glad you had a good time." Kenna smiled as Sarah argued with Eliot on which candy bar was better. "He's so damn good with her." She whispered.

"You're not getting attached to the little thief, are you?" Sophie looked worried.

"She's always going to be family Sophie. I can get as attached as I want." Kenna said louder than she intended. Taking a deep breath she stood. "I have to get out of this corset before my child stages a rebellion." Parker looked at her friend leave.

"I didn't mean anything…"

"It's okay. Eliot told her about his getting knocked out. I think she's a little upset but she won't let him in on it." Parker stood up. "I'll go talk to her."

"Tell her I'm sorry." Sophie should have known that Kenna might be a little upset about what had happened on the last job.

"You can tell her yourself later." Parker headed upstairs and found Kenna still at the elevator. "You okay?"

"I'm fine." Kenna looked at Parker. "Really. When the boys are done send Eliot home."

"Yeah, Sarah's staying at Hardison's with me. We have a Halloween marathon planned."

"Don't let her eat all her candy." Parker rolled her eyes.

"Yes mother." The elevator opened and Kenna headed upstairs.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/

"Need some help wench?" Eliot stood in the door way of their bedroom five minutes later. Kenna turned.

"I thought you would be going through candy till at least midnight." He came up behind her and slowly pulled the zipper of her dress down.

"When Parker told me she was taking Sarah and you were already up here I said my good nights." He slid the dress off her shoulders. "I'm glad we did this for Sarah." Kenna closed her eyes.

"Right now isn't the time to bring up the kid." She said. He chuckled. His lips moving to her neck as he slid her dress down till it hit the floor. He untied the corset, moving his lips down her shoulder. "I'll give you a week to stop that." Kenna hissed.

"MMM, whatever you need baby." His hands went between the material and her skin pulling it down, letting it fall to the floor with her dress. Kenna turned around standing there in nothing but her thigh high stockings. She kissed his lips letting her hands run down his arms.

"All I need is you Eliot." He pulled her against him and kissed her deeply.

"You made me a promise." Eliot said against her lips.

"MMM lay back on the bed and I will be glad to make you more promises." He looked at her.

"There was a time you would have pushed me over and taken what you wanted."

"You're not exactly in fighting condition Spencer." She ran her hand down his chest. He shook his head.

"I'm fine."

"You have a concussion." Eliot pushed Kenna against the wall.

"Don't go easy because you think I can't take it Kenna Shane." He kissed her hard and pressed against her. Kenna let him until she felt like she was going to exploded. He knew how to press her buttons. She pushed back this time and he landed on the bed, taking most of his weight on his shoulder. Kenna made good on her promise of ripping his tights off, plus fulfilling a whole lot of other promises he didn't even know she made.

O/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o

"Are you sure you have enough strawberries?" Eliot asked as he started marinating the chicken.

"I bought five pounds Eliot." She said as she stood at the sink.

"I can't believe you took the kid the Farmer's Market."

"She behaved herself." Eliot leaned over and kissed her.

"But did you?"

"I did buy something from that silk vender that gives you the eye all the time." Eliot snitched a strawberry.

"I've been home two days and your just now tell me this." He shook his head. "You are trying to kill me." He turned back to his chicken. "Now I have imagine what your hiding in that bottom drawer of yours till our company leaves." Kenna smiled.

"Not if you're as smart as I think you are." She turned and took the strawberries to the counter and started slicing them. He turned and looked over his shoulder. Her shirt had ridden up a half inch and he could see a strip of lime green silk peeking out from the waistband of her jeans.

"You will be the death of me." Taking a deep breath he went back to his chicken.

0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0

Parker walked into Kenna and Eliot's apartment giddy with excitement. She was clinging onto Hardison arm. The living room and kitchen were decorated with pink streamers and pink balloons.

"This is so great. I wasn't sure I was going to like having a big birthday celebration but I think I could get used to this." Hardison lived for the moments Parker let her guard down.

"Aunt Parker." Sarah came running from her room and into the thief's arms. "Uncle Eliot and I just finished wrapping your presents."

"I get presents too!" Parker hugged the girl. "This is going to be so great." Eliot came out of the bedroom with three brightly wrapped presents. "Oh can I open them now?" She bounded in from of Eliot.

"Back of crazy girl. We have to wait for Nate and Sophie." He handed the presents to Hardison and hugged her.

"Your mean, you know that?" She said. He chuckled.

"I have been told that a time or two." He went to check on dinner and Kenna came and hugged Parker.

"Happy birthday Parker."

"Thank you for doing this for me." Parker gushed. "All of you." She said. "I never had friends before you guys." Tears welled up in the young thief's eyes.

"Okay, no tears, just a good time." Nate and Sophie came in. "Let's get this party started." Nate smiled. Sarah hit the music and Parker's fist official birthday had begun.

O/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o

"I think it went well." Kenna said as she reached for the last pot Eliot was washing so she could wipe it off.

"Yeah, and no piñata's were hurt." Eliot wiped his hands on the towel that hung from the cupboard door. "Now for my present." He grabbed Kenna and pulled her close. "Lime green is definitely becoming my favorite color." Eliot undid the snap of her jeans.

"Sarah went to stay at Hardison's again." Kenna said. Eliot shook his head.

"You can't keep shippen' the kid off the geek and the thief." He ran his hands over her rear end.

"The geek has better video games. And she will have all the good parenting she needs when she lives with Jodi and Charlie. Till then, let's let her have some fun." Eliot backed her up against the counter.

"What else are you wearing besides lime green panties?" Kenna smiled. She pushed him back and lifted up her shirt to show the lime green bra to match. She slipped by him and headed to the bedroom.

"You gotta catch me first." She giggled. Eliot shook his head.

"You're going to get it Kenna Shane." He growled and followed her into the bedroom.


	18. Chapter 18

Home Fires

Chapter Eighteen

(Three Weeks Later)

"I can't believe we're flying to Kentucky." Sarah fidgeted in the seat next to Kenna.

"Hardison said only the best for the Frogger champion of Boston." The hacker had gotten them both first class tickets to Lexington. Kenna watched the girl as she looked around the plane in awe.

"When are Uncle Eliot and the other's gonna get to Lexington?" Kenna looked up from the magazine she was reading.

"As soon as the job is done, I'm sure."

"Did you talk to anyone?" The girl said with all the drama the twelve year could muster.

"Sarah…you know…"

"It's against the rules. I know, I know. I just wanted them there when I meet my new family." Kenna smiled.

"You've met your new family a million times on the internet. You know more about Kyle than Eliot and I do." The girl smiled.

"It's going to be cool having a brother and baby sisters. Even Nana Clara is gonna meet us at the airport." Kenna swallowed hard. The girl was going to be with the best family she ever knew but still she was going to miss seeing things through her eyes.

"Well then we better buckle up and get this plane in the air so Nana Clara isn't kept waiting." A flight attendant came to their seats.

"Ms. Hawks?" Kenna looked at her.

"Yes."

"There's a phone call for you, in the cock pit." Kenna looked confused. "It was patched through the tower." She stood.

"I'll be right back." Kenna told Sarah. She followed the flight attendant. The woman led her to the cock pit and the pilot handed her the head phones. "Hello."

"Hey darlin'." It was Eliot.

"Where are you?"

"Texas. We'll be in Kentucky Thursday morning."

"Promise."

"Promise. This Air Marshal gig is going real good." Kenna smiled.

"Good. We miss you."

"Not as much as I miss you Kenna Shane." She heard Nate in the back ground telling him to hurry. "I gotta go. I love you."

"I love you too." The pilot looked at her.

"You husband must have some connections." He smiled at her. Kenna didn't correct him. She liked the sound of Eliot being called her husband. Of course she would never tell him that.

"Oh you wouldn't believe." Kenna smiled and headed back to her seat. Sarah was listening to music on the iPod that Kenna had broken down and bought her as a going away gift.

"Who was it?" Sarah asked as she popped the ear phones out of her ears.

"Eliot. They're still in Texas."

"It's only three days till Thanksgiving."

"They didn't miss Halloween Sarah, they won't miss Thanksgiving." Kenna could see the relief on the little girls face.

"Did he promise?"

"Yeah, Sarah, he promised." The girl smiled.

"Uncle Eliot keeps his promises." She said as she put her head phones back in. Kenna took a deep breath. He had kept most of his promises over the last few months and she knew that he wouldn't want to disappoint Sarah. None of them would. Kenna settled into her seat and to enjoy Sarah's first plane ride.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o

(Two Days Later)

"Why don't you go down?" Eliot grumbled. He had been exchanges blows with the man for the last ten minutes and he didn't look like he was anywhere near falling down. "I have a plane to catch and you're not helping." Eliot slammed the man down to the ground and grabbed the baton that lay next to him. Elbowing the man in the face and brining the baton down on the man's already bruised ribs should of taken him out of the game but the man still got up again. Eliot took a deep breath. His lungs burned with exhaustion. "This is my last warning dude. Go down or…" Eliot took a step forward and hit the man's solar plexus with all the strength he had left in him. The man crumpled to the ground and didn't get up. "It's about damn time."

"_You okay Eliot?" Nate asked._

"Yeah, let's get those papers signed and get the hell out of this damn place." He wiped the blood from his lip and headed back to the hotel.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/

"Kenna, can you change Grace for me?" Jodi came from the kitchen.

"Yeah, no problem." Kenna took the baby from Eliot's sister. She had grown so much in the last few months. She took the baby and headed into the girls room. "You are a beauty Gracie." Kenna smiled. "Your uncle is going to eat you up." Grace giggled. Smiling Kenna changed the little girl's diaper. She picked her up and carried her back to the living room where Sarah was watching Elaina.

"How's it going big sister?" Kenna asked.

"This is so great." The girl was glowing. Kenna put Grace in the baby swing. There was a knock at the front door.

"I got it." Charlie said from the hall. Kenna went in the kitchen to help Jodi with some deserts.

"Hey, could you grab the nuts from the pantry?" Jodi asked.

"Yeah sure." Kenna went to the pantry she reached for the nuts on the top shelf just as the light bulb went out and the door closed. "Damn it, Jodi…" She turned around to feel warm arms around her. "Charlie?" Warm lips were on her neck. "You really need to stop." Kenna giggled.

"You want Charlie in here darlin', I could go get him." Eliot whispered in her ear.

"He's a little straight laced for me. I like a man of adventure." She moved closer to him and kissed him. "Are all your man parts home in one piece Spencer?" She had left her hands gently on his shoulders just in case.

"Shoulder's acting up and some bruised knuckles and a fat lip but other than that, the important parts are in working order." He leaned his forehead on hers. "You have to stop worrying about me Kenna."

"It's my prerogative to worry about the man who knocked me up." He hugged her close.

"Okay, I'll give you that." Kenna closed her eyes. She loved him so much and each day that he was gone she missed him more and more. He had been her family since she was old enough to walk away from her own. She hated needing him so damn much.

"What's wrong?" He felt her tense.

"I hate feeling like my next breath depends on whether or not you're going to make it home or not." Kenna felt him tense. "Don't Eliot." She let herself relax against him. "I just…I know it's just the hormones and it'll all be okay but I just needed you to know that sometimes if I'm less than enthused that you are home it's just…I've never felt this way. Even when…when you left all those years ago. I lost myself in a bottle back then."

"Now you can't lose yourself in anything." He let her go and leaned back against the shelving.

"I quit my job." Kenna looked at him. The only light was from under the door. Kenna could barely see the emotion playing in his eyes.

"You do what you have to do darlin'." He looked at standing there arms wrapped around herself nearly shaking with fear.

"I don't want to go on every job Eliot. I don't even have to…it was stupid." Kenna reached for the door knob but Eliot stopped her.

"I just want you safe."

"The only place I feel that way is with you. I have always been able to take care of myself and it was just a bonus knowing you had my back but now…I've never known fear till I go days without knowing if you're dead or alive." He pulled her into his arms. He knew the feeling. He'd felt it with every fight he fought since she came back into his life.

"It's gonna be alright sweetheart." He kissed the top of her head. "We'll work it out." He knew they would. For all their sakes he would work this out.

"We should bring Jodi her nuts." Kenna said, tears stating his shirt.

"The nuts can wait." He brought up her chin and kissed her.

"You know they're going to start talking?" Kenna said against his lips.

"I pretty much think my mama and my sister know we're sleepen' together Kenna. And as for the team…they get blow by blows." Eliot ran his hand down her stomach. The baby kicked him hard.

"She doesn't think you're funny either." Kenna smiled. "I love you Eliot."

"I love you too Kenna." They both took a deep breath and faced the circus that was their family.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o

Kenna sat on the porch swing wrapped in a warm coat and a blanket that Eliot's grandmother had made a long, long time ago. Everyone was in watching football and she really wasn't in the mood. Even for the Bears/Vikings game that was loud enough to be heard outside.

"He keeps checking to make sure your still here." Nate said as he came outside with a cup of coffee in his hand.

"He does that when we're at home too, if I'm gone too long." Kenna didn't move when Nate sat behind her on the swing. She just leaned against his shoulder a little.

"So what's the plan?" He asked her.

"I was hoping someone I knew was looking for a part time nurse slash trauma specialist slash hitter who's six months pregnant. Know anyone like that?" Nate chuckled.

"I do know someone like that. He's a bastard to work for. The hours suck, pays crappy and the only benefit is you get to sleep in the same bed with this single, somewhat broody retrieval specialist."

"That does sound like a suck ass job." Kenna smiled. "When can I start?" Nate smiled.

"Monday sound good?" The screen door opened and Eliot came out onto the porch.

"You making time with my woman again Nate?" He said, sounding much angrier than he really was.

"Job interview, really." Nate pushed Kenna forward and stood up. "Seems Leverage Inc. has a med tec slash hitter slash expectant mother on the payroll." Nate went to the door. "See you in the morning."

"Hey, wait, we have a payroll?" Eliot looked at Nate as he headed inside. Shaking his head he went to sit in the spot the older man just vacated. He put his arm around Kenna and pulled her on his lap. "So it's official?"

"Yeah, I didn't even have to beg." Kenna played with Eliot's band of his watch. "Sophie is going to hit the roof."

"I'll worry about Sophie; you worry about pulling your weight around here." Eliot smiled.

"You think I can't keep up?" She looked into his blue eyes.

"Darlin' you know I would never think that. I was just messen' with you." He pulled her close. They rocked quietly for a few minutes before the screen door came crashing open. Sophie marched out of the house and onto the porch and didn't stop until she was at the curb. A taxi pulled up just as she looked back and glared at Kenna and Eliot on the porch. Nate followed her out and stopped at the top step. He watched her get into the cab and drive off into the night.

"Maybe I should look on Craigslist for a job." Kenna bit her bottom lip.

"She'll get over it." Nate turned to them. "Don't let her get to you. She knows what's good for the team and she'll see you being with us is the best thing all around."

"Nate, is there more to it?" Eliot asked.

"She's been going through some things that she doesn't want to share. I tell her she needs to but, right now she can't." Nate looked down at his shoes. "Just cut her some slack." Nate looked at them. "The four of you are going to have to trust me." Eliot knew Nate wouldn't lie to them and he was the one person you could trust with your darkest secrets.

"We do. Just take care of her." Eliot knew it was more serious than anyone was letting on. "Let us in when you can." He tightened his hold on Kenna and she laid her head on his shoulder.

"I will." Nate went inside and got his coat and car keys. Kenna and Eliot sat quietly watching him go.

"I guess maybe now wasn't the time for life altering decisions." Kenna whispered.

"It's the perfect time. He'll need us all to be here to pull it all together."

"It sucks being the responsible ones." Kenna kissed Eliot's cheek.

"When the hell did that happen?" He smiled. "Come on darlin' I think there's a piece of pumpkin pie with our names on it." Kenna got up.

"I should eat the whole pie so the doctor doesn't bitch at me on Monday for not gaining fifty pounds." Eliot growled. Another doctor's appointment. Didn't they just have one? Mondays always sucked and this one wasn't going to be any different.


	19. Chapter 19

Home Fires

Chapter Nineteen

(Four Days Later)

"They really needed to get magazines from this decade in this place." Eliot looked at the selection of reading material on the table in front of him.

"Only three more months of this and you'll never have to set foot in here again." Kenna informed him.

"You mean there's better reading material at the pediatrician?" Eliot showed Kenna a five year old copy of Fit Pregnancy.

"I think they have those Find Waldo books and Highlights Magazine." Kenna answered. He looked at her.

"You know this child had no chance at a normal life." Kenna looked over her magazine. There were no less than four women in various stages of pregnancy. Each of them watching their interaction.

"Because we have to read old magazines at the doctor's office?" She furrowed her brow.

"No because we aren't normal." He whispered.

"You're just now figuring this out." Eliot was up to no good and she knew it.

"Just 'cause, you know we're third cousins doesn't mean the baby's going to be off." Kenna shook her head. He was going to die.

"I'm sure your right. The doctor can give us all the risks." Kenna patted his knee, hard. "Now go back to looking at the pictures in your picture book." The nurse called them in. Kenna stood and Eliot came up behind her. "I will get you back." She hissed. Kenna and Eliot followed the nurse down the hall.

"You gotta admit that the ladies in there enjoyed the show." Eliot whispered in her ear.

"You behave or I'm telling the doctor you're not this baby's daddy and that you're holding me hostage." She hissed at him.

"I love it when you fight dirty." They got into the room and Angie took all her vitals.

"How have things been?" The young nurse asked.

"Peachy." Kenna smiled.

"Jack said you quit the fire department. I would have thought you would have stuck to it till the baby was born."

"I just couldn't get used to the hours and answering the phones."

"I don't blame you. Dr. Barns will be about ten minutes so you two behave." Angie said as she took her chart and hung it on the door.

"She knows us too well." Eliot said as he came up behind her and ran his hand up Kenna's shirt and undid her bra.

"You a bad man Eliot Spencer." She lifted her arms so he could take off her shirt. He let his hands slide down her breasts and rest on her stomach.

"You wouldn't have me any other way." He kissed the back of her neck. Sliding the gown on he tied it. "You need help with your jeans?" Eliot smiled.

"You know how to embarrass a girl too." She slid off her boots and took her panties and jeans off in one fluid motion.

"You've been practicing." Kenna folded her jeans and put them on top of her shirt and bra. She boosted herself on the table.

"I've always been good at taking my clothes off for you." Kenna said. She looked at him standing rather stiffly across the room. The doctor came in the room

"I plead the fifth." He moved to stand next to Kenna.

"Good morning you two. I have the ultra sound tec waiting for us down the hall so a quick exam and if you two would like we can find out what you're having."

"We already know." Kenna laid back and took Eliot's hand.

"Oh really, did you add physic to your resume since I last saw you?" The doctor smiled.

"Just a feeling." Eliot answered.

"Okay well let's get this started so we can find out how right you are."

0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/

"So it is a girl?" Parker jumped up and down.

"Yes Parker." Eliot said as he handed her another rope. "Kenna said she show you the video and pictures when she gets home."

"So are you going to name her Valentine?" She asked as she threaded the rope through the rigging.

"Ahhh…no, I don't think so but we will keep that on in mind."

"Where's Kenna?"

"She's doing something for Nate."

"Nate? What would she have to do for Nate?"

"I didn't ask." He pulled the rope and started putting it in the storage bag. "How's Sophie been toward you and Hardison?"

"Distant." Parker sat down on the ledge of the building. "Something isn't right Eliot. When we go over to the apartment she's never there. If she is, she's upstairs. She avoids us at all costs unless we're working a job."

"I thought it was just me and Kenna she was trying to avoid."

"She's been worse since we got back from Kentucky." Eliot sat next to Parker.

"Maybe we just need to give her some time."

"If she doesn't start acting civilized soon I think even Nate is going to find someplace else to hang out." Eliot chuckled.

"Darlin' that man is so ass deep in love it would take wild horses to make him budge an inch away from her."

"How don't I see that?"

"Because we all love in different ways. He does it stealthier than the rest of us." Eliot got up. "Are you sure this thing is gonna work?" Parker smiled and let herself fall backward off the edge of the building. "Damn it Parker." Eliot grabbed the rope bag and anchored it to a steel beam. "There's something wrong with you." He screamed down to her. She was stopped eight floors down.

"You're just now figuring that out Sparky." Parker smiled. "Yeah, it works." Eliot shook his head. If Kenna's antics didn't kill him, Parker's would.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o

"She jumped and the damn rope wasn't anchored Nate." Eliot said harshly.

"Why didn't you anchor it?" Nate looked at him.

"You're kidding right?" The anger was apparent in the hitter's eyes.

"I trust the two of you to work this out before my client meeting tomorrow?"

"Nate, she didn't check the rigging and jumped before I was ready."

"Parker never jumps without knowing her lines are secure, or going to be secure." Nate looked at him. "She was messing with you Eliot."

"I'm gonna start messin' with her if she doesn't quit acting like a two year old." Kenna came into the apartment and handed Nate an envelope.

"Thank you." Kenna nodded and handed Hardison a DVD.

"Ohhh…is that the baby video." Parker came from the kitchen.

"Yeah Parker." Kenna sat on the arm of the chair Eliot was sitting in. He was still mad at three out of the four people in the room. "Take a deep breath Eliot. Your pissed off side is showing."

"Parker jumped off a building without tying off her line. Nate sends my pregnant girlfriend on some job and won't tell me what. My girlfriend leaves to do a job without telling me what or where. I have every right to be pissed off. For once Hardison is the only one I'm not angry at." The Hacker laughed as he played the ultra sound video. Kenna turned to Nate.

"Are you okay with this?" She asked. Nate looked at her and smiled but she could see the sadness in his eyes.

"It's fine." He said. Kenna nodded. The screen came alive with a three dimensional picture of Kenna and Eliot's baby. Kenna put her arm around Eliot.

"Are you okay?" She whispered in his ear.

"Yeah, I'll get over it."

"Is that really her?" Parker stood by the screens looking at it. "I can't tell who she looks like?"

"God help us if it's Eliot." Hardison said. Eliot threw a pillow at him. "I'm just saying getting all that hair…oh lever mind." Hardison shook his head.

"She kinda looks like Gracie did when she was first born. You know all squishy like." Parker said. Kenna laughed and turned to check on Nate but he was gone. Kenna leaned against Eliot again and hoped things would get better for Nate so he could share some of their happiness.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o

"Sophie, we need to talk to them. They are our friends. They will understand." Nate watched the woman pace back and forth in their bedroom.

"Do you really think they want to hear about my problems?"

"Sophie…they need to know."

"Parker will have a break down and make that squeaky moaning things she does, Hardison will try to find some herbal remedy, Eliot will just get angry and well Kenna will just get…technical." Sophie huffed.

"Maybe telling Kenna first is your best bet. She can help the others understand." He knew he was asking for a fight.

"Why does it always come back to Kenna?" She fumed. Nate looked at her.

"Because Kenna can help you through this Sophie." Nate stood up and took her shoulders in his hands. "She can help them through this."

"She just wants to take my place when I'm gone." Nate shook his head.

"You're not going anywhere Sophie. The doctor said that he's confident they got all of cells."

"Since when do trust doctors." She snapped.

"Since Dr. Trainer is the best oncologist in Boston. Sooner or later we had to trust somebody." Nate took her in his arms. "We need to trust our friends Sophie. They need to know why you're not here between jobs and why you avoid them when you're here."

"I just can't Nate."

"You know I love you right?" He whispered.

"Some days I give you reason not to."

"They love you too. They'll be angrier if you don't tell them. Eliot especially. Kenna just wants to belong, she doesn't want to replace you." Nate told her.

"Can we at least wait till after my appointment tomorrow?"

"You have till then. Either you tell them or I will." She looked at him and nodded. He kissed her. "It's all going to be okay Sophie…I promise." Nate Ford always kept his promised. She knew that.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/

"You're dropping your left arm when you swing your right leg." Eliot watched Kenna hit the bag in front her. He checked his watch. Nate called a meeting for eleven o'clock. He didn't like the sound of his voice when he called this morning.

"Maybe you and the dummy should trade places." Kenna looked over her shoulder as she as she took another shot at the stuffing filled bag in front of her.

"Maybe you should watch your smart mouth and hit the shower. We have a meeting in a half hour.

"Only takes me five minutes in there." She hit the bag with all of her weight behind her fist. Eliot pushed himself off the post he was leaning against.

"Who said you were gonna be in there alone?" He smiled. Kenna laughed and hit the bag once last time.

"Race you!" She took two steps, pushed him so he nearly lost his balance and headed to the shower. Eliot shook his head and followed. She was gonna kill him one of these days. But man what a way to go.

0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0

"He didn't sound happy." Parker looked over Hardison's shoulder. "I wish I knew what Nate and Sophie were up to."

"I promised Nate I wouldn't hack the team and he has ways of using his Jedi power to find out if I did or not. So stop asking me to."

"I didn't ask. You just want an excuse to blame me when you go doing things you're not supposed to be doing." Parker tossed herself down on the sofa. "Something is really wrong Hardison. Maybe he wants to take another break."

"We can't take a break, we have like a zillion cases backed up and more helpless people becoming…helpless every day." He looked at a worried Parker. "Just sit tight mama, he'll tell us everything when he gets here." Hardison pulled her on his lap. "It'll be okay." He hoped he wasn't lying to her because that was one thing he never did. He never, ever lied to Parker. It would kill her if he did. Or she would kill him. Either was not an option in his book.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o

Eliot sat on the leather chair where he seemed to be most comfortable. Kenna sat on the arm next to him, absently rubbing her belly. She had been doing that a lot lately, especially if she was distracted or nervous. Parker sat next to Hardison in the middle of the long leather sofa. She clung to his arm like it was her life line. Nate looked at Sophie. Sophie looked at the ground. The she looked up, eyes red.

"Six months ago, I found a lump in my right breast." Sophie saw Parker cling to Hardison's arm tighter. "I went to the doctor and did a biopsy. It was cancerous but noninvasive." Nate took her hand and squeezed it. "I've been receiving treatment and as of my appointment this morning it looks really promising that I will be fine."

"You're just now telling us this?" Eliot ground out. Kenna took his hand and he relaxed a little.

"I didn't want to worry any of you and then Kenna found out she was pregnant and I didn't want to disrupt your lives." Kenna bit her lip and tried to hold back the tears that were forming.

"You should have told us." She whispered. Sophie looked at Eliot's girlfriend who had been there for them since she came back into his life. She had been there for all of them. Not just Eliot. She had been unfair to the younger woman. And very rude.

"I'm sorry. First it was so I wouldn't rain on your happiness and then it was because I thought I didn't need to worry anyone. Then I just got angry because I need all of you and you were talking about the baby and…it just snowballed till I thought I could handle it all by myself." Eliot was angry. Kenna knew it by the way he clung to her hand and Sophie knew from the fire burning in his blue eyes.

"You, more than anyone else knows what a secret like that can do to a person." He told her. "And you know that I…that we would of helped you through this." Sophie took a deep breath.

"You had other things to worry about." Kenna nearly jumped to the ceiling when Eliot let go of her hand and lunged at the grifter.

"Do you really think that little of us Sophie? That we wouldn't want to know that you're sick?" He was standing in front of her.

"No Eliot. I wanted you to be able to be happy about the baby and not have to worry about me."

"That's pretty damn selfish if you ask me." Parker stood up, her voice full of hurt and anger. "Let us be happy about something while you wallow in your own misery and have Nate carrying all that on his shoulders alone? That's…that's just…RUDE!"

"I just wanted to protect you." Sophie told them.

"Believe it or not Sophie, we're big boys and girls. We can take the bad with the good." Hardison told her. He stood and grabbed his lap top of the table and headed out the apartment. Parker stood another second and then followed.

"You made a bad decision in not telling us Sophie and hell; you know we'll all get over it. Some of us sooner than others but we will get over it. Seems you've forgotten that families are there for each other. No matter what. I'm real glad things turned out okay, but next time…tell us before it ends up that they're not okay." Eliot held her head and kissed her forehead. He turned and left the apartment. Kenna sat frozen where she sat. She wasn't sure if she should stay and clean up the mess or run like the rest.

"Well get on with it." Sophie looked at her.

"Get on with what?" Kenna said softly.

"You're dying to chew me out too, right?" The grifter glared at her.

"You think they were chewing you out?" Kenna stood. "They just poured their hearts out to you trying to tell you that they love you in their own, twisted, messed up broken way. Sophie, none of us, Nate included have ever had people care as much about them as we care for each other. If you don't know that, know that those three people would die before they would want to see you hurt and suffering alone, then sweetheart you're not as smart as I thought you were." Kenna put her hand on Nate's shoulder and then turned to leave. Crying was the last thing any of them wanted to do at eleven thirty in the morning but it looked like that was all that was left to do.

0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/

A/N: Tears were shed in the making of this chapter…gosh I really need to get out more. Please tell me what you think even if you never have before…it helps me write more. Those of you who stick by me, you know who you are…THANK YOU!


	20. Chapter 20

Home Fires

Chapter Twenty

"They didn't want to be alone." Eliot told Kenna when she walked in the door. He was sitting at the kitchen counter with a beer in his hand.

"I don't blame them." Kenna ruffled his hair and looked at the two people on the couch.

"How was she when you left?" He looked at her.

"I think she knows she hurt us all but we're still going to be here for her." Kenna went to the refrigerator. She pulled out makings for sandwiches and some orange soda.

"Now we know why she's been acting the way she has been." Eliot looked over at Hardison and Parker. "They're not gonna bounce back like we are." He said.

"She was sick Eliot; it wasn't like she killed somebody."

"They take things to heart more than they should." Eliot took a long drag of his beer. "They haven't seen what we've seen. I honestly think there's some innocents left in their souls."

"Let's try and keep it that way." Kenna sliced tomato and put it on a plate along with lettuce and cheese. "If what she says is true, she's going to be okay."

"Sophie's always been the strong one, you know. When Nate was drinking, when he went to prison, she kept it together. Us together." Eliot knew that Sophie was just protecting them by not telling them about her illness. Much like a mother not telling her children she was ill.

"She's still that person Eliot." She put the lunch supplies on the table. "Hey guys, lunch." Parker turned and shook her head. Her eyes were red a puffy. Kenna went over to the couch and kneeled in front of her. "You need to eat."

"Is she going to die?" Kenna took Parker's hand in hers.

"No sweetie. Sophie is young and resilient. This type of cancer in a hundred percent treatable. If the doctor says she's going to be fine, she's going to be fine."

"They both hate doctors and hospitals so much. I wish they would have told us." Hardison added.

"They wanted to protect us from the pain. Just know that they didn't do it for any other reason." Kenna stood. "You both need to eat. Nate has that client meeting at three and I'm sure he'll need you both after that."

"She really is going to be okay?" Parker asked.

"Yeah Parker. She's going to be okay." Kenna hoped she was right because she didn't think Parker could take it if Sophie wasn't.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/

"Not horses again." Parker looked at the screen.

"I thought you were all over that 'when horses attack' thing." Eliot chuckled.

"Focus people." Nate said. "Jackson Henry has been running the Oklahoma State Rodeo for over seventeen years. He's never had an allegation of abuse or of bad business practices. Till now. It seems an outsider, Jerry Whittaker, planted a bull that had been abused into Henry's stock and the State pulled his license and is letting Whittaker become the head go to guy when it comes to the rodeo."

"The Oklahoma State is one of the biggest in region. People come from all over to ride. They have some of the best bulls in the world." Eliot said as he tapped a pen on the desk in front of him. "What's Whittaker's angle?"

"Jerry Whittaker is a thief and a con man. He's taken over fairs and rodeos for years. Stripping them of all their assets and leaving them broke and busted. No one can catch him because no one knows who he really is or what he really looks like." Hardison flashed ten pictures on the screen. "No one person has been Jerry Whittaker for more than a year tops."

"So what you're saying is he's not just one con man he's one of many?" Kenna was intrigued.

"You got it." Hardison answered.

"So how do you catch a thief when he can be anyone he needs to be?" Sophie came up behind them. Kenna smiled. Sophie nodded and put her hand on Kenna's and Eliot's shoulders as she stood behind them.

"We steal ourselves a rodeo." Nate said as he walked out of the room.

"Heeee's baaaack." Parker said smiling.

"God I missed that man." Hardison said as he started going though records of past infractions to find out who the real Jerry Whittaker might be.

"You up to this Soph?" Eliot turned and looked at the woman behind him.

"You bet. Fresh air, horses and men in chaps. What more can a girl ask for."

"Now there's the Sophie we know and love." Kenna smiled and knew that things were going to be back to normal soon.

0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0

(Two Days Later)

(Oklahoma City, OK)

"That is one big animal." Hardison said, standing back from the bull's pen.

"Big, but beautiful." Kenna missed the farm and all that went along with it. Someday she would own animals again. She smiled.

"Eliot's really going to ride one of these?" Parker asked.

"He used to be the best." They watched as Eliot settled on the animal in the farthest pen.

"Seems you think he still is." Nate came next to her.

"Nothing beats a man in a cowboy hat and chaps." Kenna leaned against the railing.

"You're not even scared for him."

"This is his world Nate. The fresh air, the horses, that's my Eliot." The gate burst open and the bull took off swinging Eliot like a rag doll. Kenna tensed next to Nate. If she hadn't been scared before he knew she was now. Every second went by slower than the next. Nate felt her hand grab his and clench it for dear life. The beauty and mastery of it all was clouded by the fact that if Eliot slipped or God forbid let go he could be crushed by two thousand pounds of angry animal. The eight second horn sounded and Eliot gracefully dismounted the bull and ran to the nearest railing, and effortlessly jumped over it.

"Damn." Hardison was next to Kenna on the other side. "Did you see that?" He asked. Kenna let her grip loosen on Nate's hand.

"That's what he does." Kenna said breathlessly and jumped off the fence. She walked slowly back to the trailer that they had set up their cover in. She'd forgotten how exhilarating an eight second ride could be.

O/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/

(Later That Night)

"You look beat." Kenna sat next to Sophie at the bar.

"I still haven't gotten all my strength back but I feel so much better. Thank you for taking care of them." Sophie looked at her. "I know I was rude and moody and you of all people have every right to hate me."

"I could never hate you Sophie. You are a very important part of Eliot's life and deep down, no matter what was going on I knew that you would come to your senses sooner or later." Kenna bumped Sophie softly. "Don't ever let it get that bad again."

"I promise." They watched Nate and Eliot play pool. "Why aren't you over there showing them how it's done?"

"They needed some time." Kenna took a drink of her soda.

"I didn't mean to take him away from everyone." Sophie whispered.

"You needed him. We had each other, but it's good to have you both back. I promise to share if you do."

"Deal." They shook on it.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o

"It looks like the women in our lives have kissed and made up." Eliot said as he made the next shot.

"I was really beginning to wonder if that was ever going to happen." Nate said.

"You and me both. I take it you never got around to asking Sophie to marry you?" He took another shot.

"She found the lump the night I was going to ask. I thought maybe if it was best I wait till things settled down. Speaking of, any chances you and Kenna will be putting a ring before the baby carriage?"

"I don't think so." Eliot missed the next shot. "It hasn't come up."

"It hasn't come up or neither one of you has wanted it to come up?" Nate leaned over and took his shot.

"Same difference." Eliot shrugged his shoulders.

"This could get interesting." Nate said, smiling.

"I'm sure it will come up sooner or later." Eliot looked at Kenna and Sophie. "I'm sure between the two of them somebody will bring it up." He looked back at Nate. "So we can wrap this by tomorrow?"

"I thought you liked all this horse and bull stuff."

"I did. The body isn't liken' it too much anymore." Eliot looked up and saw a man talking to Kenna. "Isn't that our friend Jerry Whittaker?" Nate turned.

"What does he want with Kenna? Nate tapped his com on as he nodded to Sophie. She turned her's on.

"_The horse isn't for sale Mr. Whittaker." Kenna's voice echoed over the com._

"_Everything has a price Mrs. Connelly." He smiled. Kenna turned around and looked at him._

"_It's my husband's horse."_

"_The papers are in your name." The man came obscenely close to Kenna. Eliot could see her tense in a way that made him very uncomfortable. _

"_Not for sale, Mr. Whittaker." She slid off the bar stool. He was a good eight inches taller than her. He grabbed her arm. Eliot took a step but Nate stopped him._

"She's got this Eliot." Nate told him.

"_Half a million dollars will go a really long way." The man whispered harshly. The man's fingers digging into her arm._

"_So will a million." Kenna looked at him. "Cash, we leave tomorrow for Denver." Kenna grabbed the man's hand that was gripping hers and twisted it off her. She bent his arm backward and brought him down to his knees. "Touch me again and you'll be dealing with him." Kenna pushed the man around and he saw Eliot, a very angry Eliot. "Eight A.M. at the stable." Kenna said as she let go of the man and headed out of the bar with Sophie._

0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0

"You did good tonight." Eliot held Kenna in the darkness. She expected something more when he didn't talk to her all the way from the bar and then when he threw both their ear pieces across the small kitchen table and dragged her to the bed. The anger in his eyes still apparent but she knew it hadn't been directed at her.

"Thanks." She ran her hand down his bare chest. It was a rare thing that they could just lay in silence without something or someone breaking the peacefulness of it all. This time in was the baby kicking her father squarely in the already bruised hip.

"Something piss her off?" Eliot chuckled.

"I think she likes listening to her daddy's voice." Kenna shifted a bit and let Eliot run his hand down her stomach.

"I hope she feels the same way when she's getting a firm talking to about boys." Kenna closed her eyes and smiled.

"Well is she's anything like her mom. She won't care as long as you talk to her." Eliot shifted and laid his head against her breast and let his fingers trace her belly. The baby kicked and tumbled around inside her. Eliot was amazed how the life inside Kenna reacted to his touch. He felt a warm hand in his hair and closed his eyes. If he died right now he would die a happy man. He did something he hadn't done ever. He fell asleep before Kenna and he slept a dreamless sleep.

O0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/

The first thing he noticed was he was alone in bed. The second that is was still dark. The third was that something was horribly wrong. He felt it in the pit of his stomach. Eliot sat up. The trailer was completely dark. He flexed his fingers and took a deep breath. He heard Kenna's voice in the distance but he could get a bead on where it was coming from. She wasn't scared, she was angry. More angry than she had ever been. He couldn't hear the words but he could feel the emotion. Sliding slowly to the edge of the bed he reached for the lamp and clicked it on but no light came from the small florescent bulb.

"Bastard!" Kenna screamed from somewhere in the darkness. He heard the sound of punches being connected with skin and bone. Shaking whatever fear he had of his pitch black surroundings he pulled on the jeans he had shed earlier. Not bothering with is shirt he slid on his boots and felt his way to the door. "You do and I will kill you with my bare hands you son of a bitch." He heard another blow being thrown. The sound of glass shattering and a ball of fire flying through the front of the trailer. Reaching for the ear buds on the table he found one and slid it in his ear. He tried the door but it wouldn't budge.

"Hardison?" Eliot knew that the hacker kept his lap top tuned to the ear bud frequency. "Damn it Hardison wake up. We're blown man and Kenna's in deep trouble."

"_I'm here." Hardison said, sleep still apparent in his voice._

"Call fire and rescue and get them down to the trailers at the fairgrounds." Eliot tried the door again. "COME ON!" He slammed his weight against the door. It didn't budge. "The door has been rigged and the trailers on fire. There's no way out." He knew the windows were all barred or too small for him to crawl through too.

"_Eliot…" Parker's voice was raspy and breathless in his ear._

"I'm a little busy Parker."

"_Eliot listen to me. Kenna modified the trailer after she picked it up. Think like Kenna." She said. Eliot looked around. The floor was solid when he walked on it so there was no escaping that way. He turned back to the bedroom. He ran back and tossed the mattress finding a trap door underneath._

"God bless your paranoia Kenna Shane." He whispered as he pulled open the door and slid out under the now fully engulfed trailer.

"You are so dead, you son of a bitch." Kenna screamed in the distance. Eliot pulled himself out from under the trailer just as he saw Kenna swing at the man in front of her. The man behind her grabbed her and pulled her arms back.

"Kenna!" He tried to scream but he couldn't get the words out. The trailer exploded and Eliot was tossed across the open field. The last thing he heard was the crack of a rifle and the agonizing scream of someone mortally wounded.

0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/

"Eliot…Eliot…wake up." He heard her voice and felt the warmth of her hands. He reached for her but the pain ripped though his arm like fire. "Your shoulder's dislocated; I need to put it back."

"Do it." He growled through clenched teeth.

"It's going to hurt like hell." She told him.

"It already does."

"Hardison, hold him down." The sirens grew louder and Eliot tried to raise his head but he couldn't. Feeling a boot in his arm pit he braced himself against Hardison.

"Do it right the first time." He gripped her hand.

"Don't I always Cowboy." Kenna was there. Kenna was okay. He felt his arm wrenched and his shoulder pop back in place.

"Kenna, Hardison, Parker, get Eliot out of here. We'll clean up the mess." Eliot felt his body lifted up and carried.

"Watch his shoulder." Kenna said. Eliot felt the pain envelop him again.

"Kenna…." He gasped.

"I'm here." He felt her lay his head on her lap. The darkness overtook him again. The dreamless sleep he had awakened from just a short time ago had turned into a nightmare he wouldn't soon forget.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/

"How is he doing?" Nate asked Kenna.

"He'll be fine in a few days."

"How are you?" Kenna looked at him. She let her sweatshirt fall down her back. Her arms were half a dozen shades of bruised.

"What happened?"

"I woke up in the field. I think Whittaker must have sent some gas in the rear window. I have a headache worse than any hangover I ever had." She pulled her sweatshirt back up and zipped it. "He threatened to kill the horse and then Eliot. I got in a lot of good blows in before his damn henchman grabbed me." Rubbing her arms Kenna looked at Eliot on the bed. "I broke his nose and a few ribs before he threw that damn burning bottle into the trailer."

"You did everything you could Kenna." Nate patted her on the shoulder. "Do you think you should go to the hospital?"

"He never laid a hand on anything but my arms." Kenna sat down on the chair next to the bed. "He's going to be so damn hard on himself."

"Make sure he isn't." Nate looked over at Eliot. "Your safe and it wasn't his fault Whittaker did what he did. We'll be next door if you need us." Kenna nodded. "It'll be okay." Nate smiled. She curled up and watched him leave then turned back to Eliot.

"I'm sorry I left you in there alone." Tears welled up in her eyes. "I should have fought harder." Kenna took his good hand in hers.

"You did what you had to do." He answered, opening his eyes. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"Putting that trap door in the trailer, it saved my life."

"I forgot to tell you about it."

"Parker told me." Kenna nodded. "You did good Kenna."

"A park ranger shot Whittaker's henchman."

"What about Whittaker?"

"I broke him." She said angrily. Eliot chuckled. Kenna was happy to see he could still laugh. She was worried that letting his guard down even for those few hours might have broken him again.

"I'm okay Kenna." He gripped her hand. "I will get through this." He pulled on her hand and pulled her next to him. "You're my hero Kenna Shane." Eliot pulled her next to him and the baby kicked him. "You too darlin'." He closed his eyes. "Get some sleep, the both of you."

"Eliot?"

"Yeah sweetheart?"

"Can we hibernate till Christmas?" She said drowsily.

"I'll see what I can do." He pulled her closer and hoped Nate would at least give his shoulder time to heal before he sent them out on another job. After New Years would be nice.

THE END

/O/O/O/O/O/O/O/O/O/O/O/O/O/O/O/O

Thank you for all who stuck by me. Christmas is coming….and so is the baby so stay tuned.


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